About 35,000 people were driven out of their home by the climate phenomenon.
Le Monde with AFP
A man found death in the bad weather hitting the Brazilian state of Bahia (Northeast), bringing 18 the number of deaths since early November in the region, where 58 municipalities were flooded and 35,000 displaced persons , announced Sunday, December 26 the local authorities.
The firefighters of Bahia confirmed the death of a 60-year-old man, who drowned in a river in the municipality of Aurelino Leal, in the southern state.
In addition to these 18 deaths, two people remain missing, 19,580 have been displaced and 16 001 had to ask for a shelter, bringing about 35,000 the number of people hunted from their home by the climate phenomenon, according to protection. Civilian of Bahia (Sudec). In addition, 286 people have been injured since the beginning of heavy rainfall in November, she added. In total, it is estimated at 430,869 the number of people affected by these rains.
“A gigantic tragedy”
The critical situation has aggravated towards the end of the weekend. Sunday afternoon, the number of municipalities in an emergency has increased to 72, of which 58 are in crisis because of the floods, according to Sudec. The day before, the local authorities had reported 19 municipalities affected by floods.
“It’s a gigantic tragedy. I do not have memory of this dimension in the recent history of Bahia. The number of houses, streets and cities completely under the water is really terrifying” , said Governor Rui Costa, who flew over Sunday morning the affected areas in southern Bahia.
Since Saturday stands a joint operation between the Federal State and the State of Bahia mobilizing staff, helicopters and equipment to help thousands of inhabitants trapped by floods, with the cooperation of others States like those of Minas Gerais, Sergipe, Espirito Santo and Sao Paulo.
Some 25 roads have been interrupted or flooded in different parts of the state, some because of landslides of stone or land, according to the Bahia Department of Infrastructures.