The death toll from heavy rains that hit the coast of the Brazilian state of São Paulo has risen from 40 to 44, while the number of missing persons is still around 40, official sources said today.
The hardest-hit area is the municipality of São Sebastião, where 43 deaths have been reported in what is already considered “one of the biggest tragedies in the history” of the region, which endured a record level of rainfall in the country, with more than 680 millimeters in 24 hours.
The other death was registered in the city of Ubatuba.
Around 2,500 people were forced to flee their homes and take temporary refuge in the homes of relatives, schools, and civil society organizations.
More than 600 troops, including army soldiers, are continuing to search and rescue efforts to locate the missing and rescue those being located.
Among those rescued is Brazil’s Minister of Management, Esther Dweck, who was with her family at a villa on the Camburi beach in São Sebastião, according to local media.
The authorities have also started distributing 7.5 tonnes of humanitarian aid, as there is still no water or electricity supply in several places and serious communication problems.
On the other hand, the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio De Freitas, announced today that the Navy would create a field hospital to attend to the victims, with 300 nursing beds and about 20 health professionals.
The torrential rains have caused numerous floods and landslides in at least six cities along São Paulo’s tourist coast: São Sebastião, Caraguatatuba, Guarujá, Bertioga, Ilhabela, and Ubatuba.
Governor Tarcísio de Freitas decreed a “state of public calamity” in these municipalities to speed up the release of resources to help the population.
Many roads were also severely damaged, including the one connecting the Santos and Rio de Janeiro cities, making it difficult for rescue brigades to access the areas affected by the storm.
The disaster occurred at the height of the Carnival festivities when dozens of tourists flock from the big cities to this region of paradisiacal beaches in the middle of the Atlantic Forest.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva flew over the worst-hit areas on Monday, accompanied by a large delegation of ministers.
The President pledged to “rebuild” the destroyed or damaged houses in the region and called on the country’s authorities to stop building in areas considered to be at high risk of flooding and landslides.
Storms in the southeastern region of Brazil during this time of year are common, but in recent years they have been more intense and destructive.
With information from Sapo