Rio de Janeiro: According to state officials, the death toll due to heavy rains in Brazil’s northeast Pernambuco region rose to 107 over the week. The rains caused flooding and landslides that buried many houses and left thousands homeless, leaving at least 6,650 people without homes. Most of the deaths occurred in Recife, the capital of the state. This is the second-worst tragedy in Pernambuco’s history after the May 1966 floods that left 175 dead.
The Brazilian Army and firefighters were working together to find the bodies of the missing, using trained rescue dogs. The federal government announced that it will allocate approximately 200 million dollars for rebuilding affected areas. 24 Pernambuco municipalities declared a state emergency. READ ALSO: Pan Card Update: You will receive a Pan card and know-how even if you’re not 18 years of age.
On Tuesday, rescue work was suspended intermittently due to heavy rains that continued. The fire department warned that this could cause flooding and new landslides in the area. Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian president, announced Monday that 1 billion reals (or 210 million U.S. dollars) will be allocated by the government for reconstruction in the affected areas.
Sergipe, Paraiba and Rio Grande do Norte were also affected by the rains. Three people died and over 18,000 were evacuated.