Brazil’s southeastern state of Minas Gerais was hit by heavy rain. The state fire department announced on Tuesday (February 24) that at least 25 people have died and 43 are missing.
According to reports from Reuters, the state fire department confirmed that there were 18 deaths in Juiz de Fora and 7 in Uba.
Brazil’s President Lula posted on the social media platform X to express condolences for the victims.
“Our focus is on ensuring humanitarian assistance, restoring basic public services, helping the displaced, and rebuilding,” he said.
The Juiz de Fora city hall stated that the rainfall triggered floods and landslides, leading to the suspension of school classes and approximately 440 people being displaced in the city.
The statement added that professional teams have been mobilized to respond to the accident and search for the missing persons. The state fire department reported that 141 personnel have been deployed to deal with the disaster.
The department’s report mentioned that 40 people are missing in Juiz de Fora, with an additional 3 missing in Uba. Gabriel Vitor, a 24-year-old state firefighter involved in the relief efforts in Juiz de Fora, said, “The local situation is very unstable, with many people missing. But through mutual assistance, we will eventually find everyone.”
In a statement, the Brazilian government mentioned that the Juiz de Fora area has been declared a disaster zone, and efforts are being accelerated for rescue and humanitarian assistance.
Most regions in Brazil enter the peak of the rainy season in summer (December to March), often bringing heavy rain, thunderstorms, floods, and mudslides.
A resident of Juiz de Fora, Jaqueline Teixeira, expressed, “This is too terrible. Words cannot describe how sad it is. Praying to God to help find the survivors.”
The city hall stated that this February has seen the highest rainfall in the history of Juiz de Fora, with the precipitation exceeding expectations by twice the amount. Mayor Margarida Salomao declared the situation as “critical” in a statement on social media.
The Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology issued heavy rain warnings on Tuesday for parts of 14 states, including the entire region of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.