This Wednesday, rescue teams continued the search for 57 people missing after torrential rains that hit the coast of the Brazilian state of São Paulo, causing 48 deaths so far, local authorities said.
The storms began last Saturday, when almost all of Brazil was in the midst of Carnival festivities, and while the intensity of the rain has eased, the light rain that persists in that region has hampered rescuers’ work.
Two more deaths were confirmed in the early hours of this Wednesday, according to the São Paulo regional government, bringing the total number of dead to 48, while an estimated 57 are still missing.
The rescue work is mainly concentrated in the city of São Sebastião, where the vast majority of victims of this disaster were recorded, caused by a record amount of rainfall in the country, with more than 680 millimeters in 24 hours.
According to official data, nearly 3,000 people had to leave their homes for fear of new landslides all along the coast of São Paulo, surrounded by mountains that have been erratically occupied in recent decades and where hundreds of homes are at risk.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited the region on Monday and agreed a plan to help those affected with São Paulo Governor Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas.
As a result of this cooperation, the population of the rain-affected cities started receiving food, medicines, hygiene products and clothing from Monday, which are distributed by members of the civil defense and the armed forces.
The Brazilian Navy announced that it will install a field hospital in São Sebastião and also that it will move an aircraft carrier to that area, which will serve as a base for helicopters that will participate in rescue operations and care for victims.
Source: DN
