Thirty Dead as Heavy Rains Devastate Brazil

(MENAFN) The death toll from devastating rainfall in Brazil's southeastern state of Minas Gerais has climbed to 30, with 39 people still unaccounted for, local authorities confirmed Tuesday.

Torrential rains that began sweeping across the region Monday afternoon unleashed a wave of destruction — triggering landslides, bursting the banks of urban rivers, and uprooting trees that tore into buildings and infrastructure, the local fire department said. Thousands of residents were displaced as a result.

The cities of Juiz de Fora and Ubá bore the brunt of the disaster, with Juiz de Fora formally declaring a state of public calamity in the early hours of Tuesday as conditions deteriorated rapidly.

Emergency crews remained on the ground as rescue operations continued throughout the day, the state fire department confirmed. State Governor Romeu Zema ordered three days of official mourning across Minas Gerais in recognition of the mounting human toll.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took to social media to extend his condolences to families who have lost both their homes and loved ones in the disaster. The federal government has since mobilized health workers and military personnel, deploying them to the affected region to bolster ongoing relief and recovery efforts.

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