Categories: EnvironmentWorld

Three dozen dead as Brazil rains cause calamity

Heavy rains in coastal areas of Brazil’s southeast have caused flooding and landslides that killed 36 people and dislodged hundreds of others, according to a statement from Sao Paulo state authorities on Sunday.

Rescue workers continue to look for victims, reconnect isolated communities and clear roads, some of which remain blocked, trapping an undetermined number of tourists who traveled for Brazil’s Carnival celebrations.

Weather forecasts show heavy rains will continue in Sao Paulo’s coastal area, challenging civil defense and fire department rescue teams and raising the prospect of a higher death toll.

The federal government determined the mobilization of several ministries to assist victims, restore infrastructure and start reconstruction work. Sao Paulo state declared a 180-day state of calamity for six cities after what experts described as an unprecedented, extreme weather event.

On Monday, Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas will meet federal officials as they coordinate the response to the tragedy, the statement said.

Operations at the port of Santos, Latin America’s largest, were interrupted amid wind gusts exceeding 55 kpm (34 mph) and waves over one meter high on Saturday, according to a local news outlet.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was spending carnival in Bahia state in Brazil’s northeast, is set to visit the main affected areas on Monday, his office said.

Source : Reuters

GLOBAL BUSINESS AND FINANCE MAGAZINE

Recent Posts

Business investment in the era of digital transformation

The weak performance of business investment across the OECD since the Global Financial Crisis holds…

3 days ago

Dollarisation waves: Insights from the BIS international bond database

The US dollar has dominated the international monetary system since the end of Bretton Woods.…

3 days ago

Ten Charts that Explain the Global Waste Crisis

Solid waste is one of the most visible by-products of human prosperity—and one of the…

3 days ago

Investing for tomorrow: long-term investment, economic scale and the green transition

Climate mitigation investment increases with long horizons, economic scale and investor diversity, underscoring long-term capital…

3 days ago

What the war in Iran means for China

China is relatively inured to the Iran conflict, but less external demand could hit its…

3 days ago

Our underappreciated international reserve system

The composition of international reserves is in a constant state of flux. This column identifies…

6 days ago