“As time goes by, the chances of finding survivors decrease”

The death toll from the heavy rains that hit southeastern Brazil has risen to 30 people, and another 39 are still missing in the state of Minas Gerais, the local authorities said. The heavy rains began on Monday afternoon, causing mudslides and flooding after rivers overflowed their banks. As a result, buildings were damaged and thousands of people were forced to leave their homes. Rescue teams, with the help of sniffer dogs and volunteers, continue the search operations in complex terrain conditions, amid fears of more landslides.

The most severely affected cities are Juiz de Fora and Ubá. In the city of Joise de Forre, at least 12 houses were swept away in a neighborhood built on the side of a mountain, in an event defined by fire officials as a “huge landslide”. Throughout the region, more than 200 people have been rescued so far. Mayor Joise de Forre, Margarida Sumolao, declared a state of emergency to speed up access to resources and humanitarian aid. In the city, where a little more than half a million inhabitants live, the month of February was the rainiest since the measurements began, with 584 millimeters of precipitation, well above the historical monthly average.

According to the country’s fire services, many of the victims were trapped in their homes during the night, when the heavy rains pounded the area non-stop. There were dire scenes at the disaster scenes, as family members waited for news about their missing loved ones. Volunteers joined the rescue forces and helped dig through the mud and rubble in an attempt to locate survivors. “As time passes, the chances of finding survivors decrease,” says the coordinator of the country’s civil defense, while the rescue teams are acting cautiously for fear of more collapses.

The governor of Minas Gerais, Romeo Zema, declared three official days of mourning in the country. Brazil’s president, Lula da Silva, expressed his condolences to the families who lost loved ones and their homes, and promised federal aid. The government sent medical teams and security forces to the area to reinforce the local authorities, who stated that the disaster was caused by a combination of intense precipitation in a short period of time, on land that was already saturated from previous rains, conditions that limited the absorption capacity and significantly increased the risk of flooding and landslides. Hundreds of residents were evacuated to temporary shelters, classes were suspended, and roadblocks and transportation disruptions were reported in several areas.

Floods and mudslides are a recurring phenomenon in the summer season in South America, especially in densely populated urban areas that suffer from slope instability and drainage problems. In recent years, Brazil has experienced a series of severe natural disasters, which according to experts are related to the effects of climate change, and have led to widespread destruction in various parts of the country.

The current disaster has hit a country known not only for its mountainous scenery but also for its cultural and economic importance. Minas Gerais is considered one of the main tourist destinations in Brazil, with historic cities such as Ouro Preto and Tiradentes, as well as notable natural sites such as Serra da Canastra National Park. The tourism industry makes up about 7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, a figure that also highlights the broad economic consequences that extreme weather events in the region may have. The rescue operations continue, and the authorities continue their efforts to locate the missing and provide assistance to the residents who were evacuated from their homes.