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Forty-Six Dead as Heavy Rains Trigger Floods in Brazil
(MENAFN) The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Brazil's southeastern Minas Gerais state climbed to 46 on Wednesday, with 21 people still unaccounted for as rescue teams raced against time to reach survivors.
The hardest-hit city of Juiz de Fora accounted for 40 of the confirmed fatalities and 19 of the missing, while the neighboring municipality of Uba reported six deaths and two disappearances, according to the latest official figures.
The scale of displacement has been staggering. Roughly 3,000 residents in Juiz de Fora and 26 in Uba have been left without shelter, as authorities evacuated 400 and 178 people respectively from areas at heightened risk of landslides and flash flooding.
Both Juiz de Fora and Matias Barbosa have formally declared states of public calamity, unlocking access to federal emergency funds and fast-tracking disaster response measures. All municipal school classes have been suspended indefinitely.
The crisis was triggered by intense rainfall that escalated sharply on Monday afternoon, causing rivers to burst their banks, forcing the closure of bridges and an underpass, and leaving roads impassable from fallen trees and debris. The deluge has already made February the wettest month ever recorded in Juiz de Fora, with precipitation more than doubling the city's historical average.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva voiced solidarity with victims and first responders, while Minas Gerais Governor Romeu Zema declared three days of official mourning across the state. The Ministry of Defense has mobilized troops to support cleanup operations, debris removal, logistics, temporary shelter setup, and helicopter-assisted humanitarian missions.
The hardest-hit city of Juiz de Fora accounted for 40 of the confirmed fatalities and 19 of the missing, while the neighboring municipality of Uba reported six deaths and two disappearances, according to the latest official figures.
The scale of displacement has been staggering. Roughly 3,000 residents in Juiz de Fora and 26 in Uba have been left without shelter, as authorities evacuated 400 and 178 people respectively from areas at heightened risk of landslides and flash flooding.
Both Juiz de Fora and Matias Barbosa have formally declared states of public calamity, unlocking access to federal emergency funds and fast-tracking disaster response measures. All municipal school classes have been suspended indefinitely.
The crisis was triggered by intense rainfall that escalated sharply on Monday afternoon, causing rivers to burst their banks, forcing the closure of bridges and an underpass, and leaving roads impassable from fallen trees and debris. The deluge has already made February the wettest month ever recorded in Juiz de Fora, with precipitation more than doubling the city's historical average.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva voiced solidarity with victims and first responders, while Minas Gerais Governor Romeu Zema declared three days of official mourning across the state. The Ministry of Defense has mobilized troops to support cleanup operations, debris removal, logistics, temporary shelter setup, and helicopter-assisted humanitarian missions.
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