A man rides a bicycle through a flooded street in Porto Alegre, Brazil, when heavy rains also hit the southern portion of the country. File Photo by Ricardo Rimol/EPA
At least 22 people have died, dozens remain missing and more than 400 have been displaced after heavy rains hit southeastern Brazil, authorities in the state of Minas Gerais said Tuesday.
According to the latest reports from Civil Defense and the state Fire Department, rescue efforts are focused on searching for at least 45 missing people, including several children.
Officials said the deaths are linked to flooding and landslides recorded since Monday. Emergency crews remain deployed to assist victims and search for those unaccounted for.
The city of Juiz de Fora has been the hardest hit. Municipal authorities confirmed 16 deaths after the Paraibuna River overflowed and multiple landslides buried entire homes, CNN Brasil reported.
Juiz de Fora Mayor Margarida Salomão declared a state of public calamity, describing the situation as “extreme” after the city recorded its rainiest February on record, with up to 23 inches of accumulated rainfall.
Six additional deaths were reported in the city of Ubá, about 68 miles away, where rising waters reached critical levels and caused the collapse of basic infrastructure.
In affected areas, streets turned into fast-moving rivers and entire neighborhoods were cut off. About 440 people have been displaced and are staying in temporary shelters set up by local authorities.
The Minas Gerais Fire Department said that after the Paraibuna River overflowed, crews responded to incidents involving flooding, landslides and structural risks in hillside areas and neighborhoods near the river.
Within hours, authorities received more than 40 emergency calls related to blocked roads, stranded residents and damaged homes, Agência Brasil reported.
Specialized teams are using heavy machinery and boats to access areas buried in mud. Municipal school classes have been suspended indefinitely to prioritize student safety.
Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology, known as Inmet, has maintained a red alert for the region due to persistent cold fronts that could bring additional rainfall.
The agency warned that accumulated rainfall through Wednesday and Friday could exceed 2.4 inches per hour or surpass 3.9 inches per day, accompanied by strong winds between 37 mph and 62 mph in parts of Minas Gerais, Bahia and São Paulo, as well as across Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro states.
The warning level is classified as “danger,” indicating the possibility of significant disruptions, local news portal G1 reported.
Brazil has faced a series of extreme weather events in recent years, particularly in the south and southeast regions, where most of the country’s population is concentrated.
