SAO SEBASTIAO, Brazil – Hundreds of rescuers searched for survivors Monday of landslides and flooding that killed at least 36 people along the coast of Brazil’s southern Sao Paulo after a massive weekend downpour.
Sao Sebastiao was the hardest hit, with at least 35 people killed. A 7-year-old girl was killed in nearby Ubatuba. The disaster, which occurred in an area known for its beaches flanked by mountains, caused many cities to cancel Carnival celebrations, which were already underway elsewhere in the country.
Governor Tarcisio de Freitas told the Globo television network that 40 more people were missing. According to his state government, nearly 800 people were homeless, and 1,730 were displaced.
Flooded homes were shown on television with only their roofs visible. Residents used small boats to transport items and people to higher ground.
Mailsa, a woman who only gave her first name, said she and her husband, daughter, and grandson barely escaped when a landslide destroyed her house in Sao Sebastiao’s Juquehy municipality. The house had been partially submerged, parts had fallen away, and the rest was precariously on the edge of a hill.
“It was lightning fast. “You either run or you die,” she said. “There is nothing you can take, only your life, which is the most important thing.”
After Flooding Caused Deadly Landslides In Brazil
Armed forces personnel assisted in the search and rescue efforts, hampered by poor access to many areas due to landslides in the region’s highlands and floods that washed away chunks of pavement in low-lying and oceanfront areas.
“Our rescue teams are unable to reach several locations. “It’s a chaotic situation,” Sao Sebastiao Mayor Felipe Augusto said late Sunday night on social media.
According to Augusto, approximately 50 houses in the city collapsed due to the landslides, and he posted several videos of destruction and search efforts, including one of a baby being rescued by locals lined up on a flooded street.
Landslides and floodwaters blocked the highway connecting Rio de Janeiro state to Sao Paulo’s port city of Santos. According to Gov. de Freitas, the damage was so severe that the highway may no longer exist.
Precipitation in Sao Sebastiao exceeded 600 millimeters (23.6 inches) Brazil in 24 hours over the weekend, one of the largest downpours in Brazil in such a short period.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited the region on Monday. He observed the damage in Sao Sebastiao from a helicopter and met with Gov. de Freitas at the theatre, where search operations were being coordinated.
600 Millimeters Of Rain In 24 Hours
According to Lula, people living on the hillside should be relocated to safer areas. “Now and then, nature surprises us, but many times, we defy nature,” Lula told reporters in Sao Sebastiao.
De Freitas declared a state of emergency for the worst-affected cities, including Sao Sebastiao, Ubatuba, Ilhabela, and Bertioga, allowing for the expedited allocation of relief funds. He stated that 7 million reais ($1.35 million) had already been released. The governor also declared three days of official mourning throughout Sao Paulo on Monday.
According to a state government statement, the heavy rain disrupted water, electricity, and phone services, and a video of 30,000 liters of water being transported to Sao Sebastiao, Brazil, was posted on Twitter. In addition, hygiene kits, blankets, sleeping bags, mattresses, and medical supplies have been delivered.
Waldez Góes, Minister of Integration and Regional Development, stated on Twitter that experts are already looking into reconstruction plans. “In the coming days, we will work on rebuilding bridges, public buildings, housing units, and all affected public infrastructure,” Góes said.
The affected area, on the northern coast of Sao Paulo, is a popular Carnival destination for wealthy tourists who prefer to avoid the massive street parties of big cities.
SOURCE – (AP)
