Sofia Ferreira SantosAnd
Ione Wells,South America Correspondent, São Paulo
At least 25 people have died in Brazil’s southeastern state of Minas Gerais after heavy rains Monday evening caused flooding and several landslides.
Most of the deaths were reported in the town of Juiz de Fora, where, according to authorities, 18 people were killed, while another Seven deaths were reported in Ubá.
Rescue operations continue, with workers and residents searching for dozens of people missing after several homes and buildings collapsed overnight.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sent his “deepest condolences” to the families of the victims and those who lost their homes. He also said the government had declared a “state of calamity” in Juiz de Fora.
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He added that the government would act with “the speed and force that the present moment requires”.
Around 440 people were left homeless or displaced in Juiz de Fora alone, with the local government providing temporary shelter and asking for donations of water, food, clothing and hygiene products.
Mayor Margarida Salomão said the tragedy was the “saddest” moment of her five years in local government and declared three days of official mourning in memory of all Juiz de Fora residents who lost their lives.
She said children were among those who died in Juiz de Fora, but the city has so far released no further official information on the identities of the victims.
Valtencir Coutinho de Miranda made an appeal live on television as he searched for his six-year-old daughter who is among the missing.
Holding a shovel in his hand among the mud and debris left by a landslide, he told TV Globo: “We are here to find her, with God giving us strength and comforting our hearts, so that we can find her alive.”
A man who helped rescue a four-year-old child and three adults from an area of Juiz de Fora hit by landslides told local media he was still searching for his nephew.
“At that point, you don’t choose who you help, you just do your best to help,” he said through tears.
Videos shared on social media showed widespread damage from the rain, with muddy waters carrying vehicles and other debris through the city and several buildings collapsing.
Video taken in Ubá showed several coffins being swept away by the stream as floods hit a funeral home in the town.
An image shared by the local government shows the impact of heavy rain on a hill above Juiz de Fora, called Morro do Cristo, with waters eroding a deep gorge in the middle of it.
Minas Gerais Governor Romeu Zema said the state was experiencing a “sad day” and offered solidarity to families affected by the intense downpours.
Local authorities say this February has been the wettest in the history of Juiz de Fora, with current rainfall in the area already more than double that expected for the month.
On Tuesday, the country’s national meteorological institute issued a heavy rain warning for all of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and 12 other Brazilian states.
It is currently summer in Brazil – and the peak rainy season, with thunderstorms, floods and landslides common in the country.
In 2024, nearly 200 people were killed in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, due to heavy rains, floods and landslides that affected more than two million people.