President Lula says that the Sao Paulo area can ‘rely on the federal authorities’ after flooding killed not less than 36.

Lots of of emergency rescue employees proceed to seek for survivors amid the devastation of flooding and landslides which have killed not less than 36 individuals and displaced a number of hundred in Brazil.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday visited impacted areas within the southeastern state of Sao Paulo, the place dozens of individuals stay lacking and the dying toll is predicted to rise. The town of ​​Sao Sebastiao seems to have been hit the toughest, accounting for 35 of the 36 victims.

“United we will likely be a lot stronger and Sao Sebastiao will get better a lot sooner,” Lula mentioned in a Twitter submit on Monday. “Rely on the federal authorities.”

Lula flew over Sao Sebastiao in a helicopter to survey the harm on Monday previous to a gathering with native officers, who mentioned that not less than 40 individuals stay lacking and a few areas have been reduce off after landslides blocked the roads.

The president promised to assist rebuild the city of some 91,000 individuals by developing new homes in safer locations, whereas additionally saying the federal government should work to revive key infrastructure services similar to roads additionally hit by landslides.

“Typically nature takes us abruptly, however generally we additionally tempt nature,” Lula mentioned in a speech after assembly with Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas and Sao Sebastiao Mayor Felipe Augusto to coordinate their response to the tragedy.

The flooding was triggered by a big downpour of rain over the weekend, and has prompted many cities within the area to cancel Carnival festivities.

In a social media submit on Sunday night time, Augusto described a “chaotic state of affairs” after 600mm (24 inches) of rain washed over the city in lower than 24 hours.

Augusto mentioned that fifty properties within the metropolis had collapsed from flooding and landslides, and images of the realm present properties inundated with particles. Authorities mentioned that these rescued from the torrent of mud embody a two-year-old boy and a lady giving delivery.

Looking for shelter on greater floor, some residents used boats to ferry items and folks to elevated areas.

Whereas Sao Sebastiao was on the centre of the catastrophe, surrounding cities similar to Ilhabela and Caraguatatuba have additionally been impacted, and a seven-year-old woman was killed within the neighbouring city of Ubatuba, the Sao Paolo state authorities mentioned.

De Freitas declared an 18-day state of calamity for six cities in impacted areas, and a press launch from the state authorities mentioned that just about 800 individuals had misplaced their properties.

In recent times, flooding and landslides have been a persistent and lethal phenomenon in Brazil. In February 2022, greater than 200 individuals had been killed as the town of Petropolis close to Rio de Janeiro was inundated with flooding and landslides, and torrential rains resulted in flooding that killed 100 within the state or Pernambuco in Might 2022.