São Paulo: Death toll rises as deadly storms devastate Brazilian coast
Deadly storms have slammed into the Brazilian coast, causing flooding and landslides – which have devastated the Brazilian Sao Paulo state, killing at least 40 people, officials say.
Dozens of people remain missing and the death toll is expected to rise. But rescue teams are working hard trying to pull those trapped in flooded homes out of the mud alive.
Video showed neighbourhoods under water, inundated motorways and debris left after houses were swept away.
Brazil’s famous carnival celebrations have been cancelled in a number of cities.
In São Sebastião, 627mm of rain fell in 24 hours, twice the expected amount for the month. The town’s mayor, Felipe August, said the situation there was chaotic: “We have not yet gauged the scale of the damage. We are trying to rescue the victims.”
Around 50 houses had collapsed and were washed away, he added, saying that the situation remains “extremely critical.”
At least 35 deaths have been reported in São Sebastião and in Ubatuba.
Hundreds of people have been displaced and evacuated.
“Unfortunately, we are going to have many more deaths,” a civil defence official told newspaper Folha de São Paulo.
Funding to aid disaster relief
State Governor Tarcísio de Freitas said he had released the equivalent of $1.5m (£1.2m) in funding to aid in disaster relief.
Events have been cancelled across the coastline – a popular destination for tourists.
Brazil is famous for its colourful carnival celebrations and the festival usually lasts for five days in the run-up to Lent.
The port in Santos – the largest Latin American port -was shut as wind speeds exceeded 55km/h and waves rose to over a metre, according to local media.
President supports reconstruction
Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited the affected areas on Monday.
He pledged to support reconstruction but said “It’s important for people not to build more houses in places that could fall victim to more rains and landslides that claim yet more lives.”
The president sent his condolences to those who had lost loved ones, and promised to bring authorities together to provide healthcare and rescue teams.
More heavy rain is expected in the area, which will likely make it harder for rescue teams.
Extreme weather events such as flooding are set to become more common as the impact of climate change takes hold.
