The authorities believe that thirty people are always missing due to the landslides and floods. About 4,000 people had to leave their homes.
MO12345lemonde with AFP
The landslides in south-eastern Brazil left 54 dead, according to the latest report made public on Friday, February 24 by the authorities. More than 680 millimeters of rain fell in twenty-four hours late last week in Sao Sebastiao, a seaside resort about 120 kilometers from Sao Paulo, more than double the monthly precipitation. Among the dead, the office of the State Governor of Sao Paulo said that 16 women, 15 men and 15 children were identified.
The authorities believe that thirty people are always disappeared and research is continuing tirelessly in the neighborhoods most affected by landslides and floods. About 4,000 people had to leave their homes.
Experts attribute these extreme events to a combination of the effects of climate change and uncontrolled urbanization. In Brazil, 9.5 million people live in areas exposed to landslides or floods, many of which in favelas devoid of basic health infrastructure, according to the National Center for Surveillance and Alert for Natural Pays for the country , Cemaden.