Brazil Floods: Death Toll Rises to 30, 47 Still Missing

Rio de Janeiro (ANTARA) - The death toll from the floods and landslides that have struck the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais has risen to 30, authorities said on Thursday (23/2).

The Secretariat of Defence and Civil Protection (SEDEC) reported a significant increase from the previous report of 23 deaths.

Meanwhile, 47 other people are reported to be still missing as a result of the disaster.

The majority of the deaths were caused by landslides that destroyed several homes in the city of Juiz de Fora.

Search efforts are still ongoing, while a large number of residents are still trapped in their flooded homes.

The local weather agency forecasts that rain will continue to fall in the area until Friday.

February has become the wettest month in history in the city of Juiz de Fora, with rainfall reaching 584 millimetres, twice the monthly average.

The heavy rain began on Monday and continued throughout the night.

As the water levels rose on Tuesday morning, the Mayor of Juiz de Fora, Margarida Salomao, declared a state of emergency. The move was taken to ensure that federal funding and resources would be immediately deployed.

“The situation is very serious,” said Salomao, stressing that the government is continuing to work to save those trapped in the floods.

Source: Sputnik/RIA Novosti/Anadolu