Brazil Floods, Landslides Kill 44, Prompt Frantic Search for Dozens

Brazilian authorities ordered search and rescue operations to locate at least 44 people who went missing following floods and landslides.

Officials recorded roughly 680 millimeters of rain, more than double the expected monthly amount, that fell within 24 hours around the famous beach city of Sao Sebastiao. The state government said the amount of downpour the area experienced was never before seen.

Brazilian Search and Rescue Efforts

While the Inmet weather service forecasted that rains would continue falling in the area for this week, authorities raised the official death toll to 44. In a statement, the office of Sao Paulo's governor said that search and rescue operations continue unimpeded despite raging rivers of mud, stones, and trees.

However, rescuers had a difficult time due to wet weather, even though they were backed up by 50 vehicles, 14 helicopters, and 53 engineering teams. Sao Paulo Gov. Tarcisio de Freitas said that officials do not know where the death toll would stop, as per France24.

Officials also noted that 38 people were still missing, which is a figure that the governor expects to come closer to 70 in the near future. Brazilian authorities added that more than 1,730 people were temporarily evacuated from their homes while 760 others were left homeless.

So far, 25 people, including six children, have been taken to hospitals, seven in severe conditions. Officials in Sao Sebastiao have also set up a tent for a collective wake for victims.

Residents could be seen using shovels and hoes to clean the mud out of their homes while heavy vehicles pass by to collect debris. On Monday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva flew over the affected area and warned of the dangers of improvised urban construction.

Historic Weather Phenomenon

Members of the country's armed forces joined rescue efforts, and the Navy, starting on Thursday, will construct a hospital that has up to 300 beds to assist with relief efforts. Freitas was the one who announced the plans during a Tuesday news conference, according to Yahoo News.

Despite efforts, parts of the highway connecting Rio de Janeiro state with Sao Paulo's port city of Santos were still blocked following landslides. Officials noted that a separate road was blocked that connected the city of Bortiga to inland Sao Paulo.

Lula da Silva has also called on residents who lived in the hillside areas of the country to relocate to safer regions. The state government of Sao Paulo added that roughly 7.5 tons of aid, including food, water, and hygiene kits, have already been provided to victims of floods and landslides.

Meteorologist Marcelo Seluchi noted that a cold front with a combination of specific characteristics was responsible for the historic weather event. This included not only heavy rains but also high swells that made it difficult for any of the rainfall to drain away.

Many make-shift structures built on steep hillsides were not strong enough to endure the force of the water rushing down. The danger comes as more than 9 million Brazilians are thought to be living in areas that are prone to mudslides or flooding, said BBC.