Brazil Declares State of Emergency for Dozens of Cities Because of Rains, Mudslides

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The governor of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais declared today a state of emergency for 47 cities due to the rains that since Thursday have ravaged the southeast of Brazil and have already caused 38 deaths and 17 missing persons.

The heavy rainfall has caused landslides which are the main cause of death and disappearance of people who are buried, according to Spanish news agency EFE, which warns that the number of victims may continue to rise.

According to local civil protection, the heavy rainfall has forced some 9,600 people to leave their homes in areas that are likely to be buried or submerged.

Approximately 2,000 people have meanwhile been resettled in makeshift spaces such as schools or sports halls.

The storms have mainly affected the city of Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, and the municipalities in the metropolitan region, but some coastal towns have been hard hit as well.