According to the government, at least 56 people have died and 56 are missing from torrential rains in northeastern Brazil since Tuesday.
“As of Sunday, 56 persons have been confirmed dead and 56 are still missing from the municipalities of Recife or Olinda,” Pernambuco Civil Defense stated. Pernambuco Civil Defense stated in a statement that there are also 3,957 homeless persons.
According to the latest official report, 34 people have been reported dead since Wednesday. There are also more than 1,300 homeless or displaced persons, but no estimate of the number of missing.
After a brief pause, around 1,200 men with boats and helicopters resumed their search for missing and isolated persons on Sunday morning.
The storm caused large landslides along hillsides and overflowing rivers, as well as torrents of mud which swept away all that was in their path.
Local authorities released footage on Sunday showing volunteers and rescuers clearing debris from Jardim Monteverde. This is at the border of Recife and Jaboatao dos Guararapes. The greatest tragedy happened in this region on Saturday morning when 19 people were killed by a landslide.
“We are expecting heavy rain over the next few days, even though it has stopped raining now. “The first thing is to keep yourself protected,” the minister said. He flew with other Brazilian officials over the disaster zone.
Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian President, stated on Sunday that he would travel Monday to Recife to investigate the “tragedy.”
These images recall the tragic events that took place in February in Petropolis (southeast), in which 233 people were killed in torrential rains or mudslides.
