Authorities in Brazil report that catastrophic flooding and mudslides have resulted in 64 fatalities in Minas Gerais state, with rescue teams continuing their search for survivors.
The disaster began with torrential rainfall late Monday, devastating portions of Juiz de Fora and Uba, communities located approximately 192 miles north of Rio de Janeiro. Emergency responders have spent the week pulling victims from the wreckage and retrieving bodies from the affected areas.
According to the state fire department, five individuals remain unaccounted for, and the disaster has displaced more than 5,500 residents from their homes.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva plans to tour the affected areas Saturday for meetings with regional officials, the presidential office announced.
Federal authorities have approved the distribution of approximately 3.4 million reais, equivalent to $660,000, to support rebuilding initiatives and emergency aid.
Weather officials at Inmet, Brazil’s national meteorological service, have issued warnings about “great danger” from additional severe weather threatening parts of Minas Gerais and neighboring states including Rio and São Paulo. Meteorologists caution these regions face continued risks of mudslides, river flooding, and extensive water damage.
Data from Cemaden, a Brazilian disaster monitoring agency, shows that roughly one-fourth of Juiz de Fora’s 540,000 residents live in zones identified as vulnerable to land and water-related natural disasters, according to their 2023 assessment.
Researchers attribute the increasing frequency of such extreme weather events to climate change caused by human activities.
Brazil experienced similar devastation in May 2024 when massive flooding struck Rio Grande do Sul state in the country’s south, killing at least 185 people and causing widespread destruction to businesses, manufacturing facilities, and agricultural operations. Economic damage from that disaster exceeded 10 billion reais, or $1.9 billion.
