Heavy rains leave at least 22 dead and more than 40 missing in southeastern Brazil

The heavy rains that have been affecting the southeast of Brazil for hours left at least 22 dead and more than 40 missing in the state of Minas Gerais on Tuesday. The most affected city is Juiz de Fora, where 16 deaths have already been recorded, according to the latest report from firefighters collected by the local press. In this town near the state of Rio de Janeiro, perched on hills and valleys, there are at least 20 houses buried by landslides. In the town of Ubá, about 100 kilometers away, another six deaths have been confirmed. The numbers will possibly increase in the coming hours, given that there are still many missing and the situation continues to be chaotic.

The rain began to gain strength on Monday afternoon and did not stop. During the early hours of the morning, the mayor of Juiz de Fora, Margarida Salomão, recorded a video that she spread on her social networks declaring a state of public calamity, to have faster access to resources and help from the federal government, warning that the situation was “very serious.” “We are multiplying to help people and save lives,” he said.

The Paraibuna River and its tributaries overflowed and dozens of streets were closed and a good part of the neighborhoods were flooded. More than the strong concentration of rain in a few hours, the problem is that it rained and it wet. This has been the wettest February in the history of Juiz de Fora, with 584 liters accumulated, double the usual rainfall for this month.

Ground zero of the tragedy is the Parque Burnier neighborhood, where according to firefighters there are at least 17 missing, including five children. Nine people were rescued alive after a landslide that covered 12 houses on the same street.

The material damage is enormous, and at least 440 people have had to leave their homes and have been relocated to schools. All schools in this city of almost 600,000 inhabitants have suspended their classes this Tuesday, public transportation does not work and the mayor’s office has determined a remote work day for its officials. Local firefighting teams and about 150 agents from neighboring cities are participating in the rescue efforts.

The governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema, stated that he will visit Juiz de Fora this Tuesday. “Minas is present and will do everything in his power to alleviate this suffering,” he said.

The deaths caused by the rain storm are a tragedy that occurs almost routinely every summer in Brazil. A few hours before hitting Juiz de Fora, the rain fell with force in the metropolitan area of ​​Rio de Janeiro: an 85-year-old woman drowned inside her house in the city of São João de Meriti and more than 600 neighbors had to leave their homes. In the neighboring state of São Paulo, two people also died in the last week and there are now 19 since December.