The death toll from the torrential rains that hit the coast of the Brazilian state of São Paulo has risen from 40 to 44, while the number of missing remains at around 40, official sources said on Tuesday.
The worst affected area is the municipality of São Sebastião, where 43 deaths were reported in what is already considered “one of the greatest tragedies in history” of the region, which has endured a record amount of rainfall in the country, with more than 680 millimeters in 24 hours. The other death was registered in the city of Ubatuba.
About 2,500 people were forced to flee their homes and take temporary refuge in the homes of relatives, schools and community organizations.
More than 600 troops, including Army soldiers, continue search and rescue efforts to track down the missing and rescue those who are located.
Among those rescued is Brazil’s Management Minister Esther Dweck, who, according to local media, was with her family in an urbanization on Camburi Beach in São Sebastião.
Authorities have also started distributing 7.5 tons of humanitarian aid, as several places still lack water or electricity supplies and serious communication problems.
On the other hand, the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio De Freitas, announced today that the Navy will set up a field hospital to care for the victims, with 300 nursing beds and about 20 health workers.
The torrential rains caused numerous floods and landslides in at least six towns along São Paulo’s tourist coast: São Sebastião, Caraguatatuba, Guarujá, Bertioga, Ilhabela and Ubatuba.
De Freitas, a former infrastructure minister in Jair Bolsonaro’s government (2019-2022), declared a “state of public calamity” in these municipalities, aiming to accelerate the release of funds to help the population.
Many roads were also severely damaged, including the road connecting the cities of Santos and Rio de Janeiro, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach weather-affected areas.
The catastrophe occurred at the height of Carnival festivities, when dozens of tourists travel from major cities to this region of paradisiacal beaches in the middle of the Atlantic Forest.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva flew over the hardest-hit areas on Monday, accompanied by a large delegation of ministers.
The president pledged to “rebuild” the region’s destroyed or damaged homes and appealed to the country’s authorities to stop building in areas considered to be at high risk of flooding and landslides.
Storms in southeastern Brazil at this time of year are common, but in recent years they have become more intense and destructive.
Source: DN
