The severe storm hitting the south of Brazil for several days already caused at least 44 dead in the city of Sao Paulothe hardest hit by the rains that have been defined as “the worst in the history of the country” due to the consequent flooding and the tragic landslides they caused.
The southern city hardest hit by the storms is San Sebastián, where firefighters continued to carry out rescue efforts on Tuesday in search of those who were left behind. trapped under rubble of the houses that have been hit by landslides, which have caused the total destruction of several houses.
In this sense, again there are dozens of people missing amid record rainfall that continues to fall on the said state. According to the local press, more than 600 millimeters of rain fell in 24 hours, a figure that exceeds expectations for the entire month of February.
According to the authorities, there is still hope of finding people alive. Pedro de Rosario, municipal employee, said: “Hope is the last thing to die, so we have a lot of hope. There are still people buried.”
As for the victims, the São Paulo government said in a statement that it has already identified them seven bodies, who have been handed over to their families so that they can perform their own burials.
They also explained that they are 800 people who have lost their homes and 1,730 who have had to be displaced. Besides, it’s still there several roads blocked: Parts of the route between Rio de Janeiro and Santos are not yet enabled, nor is the route from Bortiga to São Paulo.
The governor of the state of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas – who was minister of infrastructure during the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro – decreed a state of public calamity for the areas of Ubatuba on Monday; St. Sebastian; Ilhabela; Caraguatuba and Bertioga, in the north coast region of São Paulo.
As for relief efforts, de Freitas held a press conference where he said members of the military have joined search duties and that starting Thursday, the Navy will build a 300-bed hospital.
Furthermore, he stressed that for the assistance of those affected, 7.5 tons of food, water and first aid supplies.
Brazil is suffering the effects of climate change, with extreme events becoming more frequent, such as in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, where more than 230 people died due to heavy rains in February 2022.
Lula in the affected area
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived on Monday in the coastal area of São Paulo state hit by heavy rains.
On his Twitter account, he wrote: “I insisted on coming here and bringing a group of ministers, so as to make a government commitment in San Sebastián. We will recover the Rio-Santos highway. And we can no longer build houses in places a risk We will work together with the city council.
Furthermore, he promised to “unite all levels of government” to “treat the wounded, search for the missing, restore roads, electricity and telecommunications connections”.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.