Brasília, Europe Brief News – At least 40 people were killed while dozens more missing in the wake of the flooding and landslides in Brazil.
The worst hit was Sao Sebastiao city in the state of São Paulo, where at least 35 were dead. In neighbouring Ubatuba, a seven-year-old girl further died.
The disaster, in an area famous for beaches flanked by mountains, prompted cancellations in many cities of the Carnival festivities.
Governor Tarcisio de Freitas told television network Globo that 40 people were missing.
Nearly 800 people were homeless and 1,730 people have been displaced, the São Paulo state government said in a statement.
TV footage showed flooded homes with only their roofs visible. Residents used small boats to carry items and people to elevated positions.
Armed forces joined the search and rescue efforts, aggravated by poor access to many areas after landslides blocked the snaking roads in the region’s highlands and floods washed away chunks of pavement in low-lying and oceanfront areas.
“Our rescue teams are not managing to get to several locations. It is a chaotic situation,” Sao Sebastiao Mayor Felipe Augusto said on social media late on Sunday night.
Augusto said about 50 houses collapsed in the city due to the landslides. He posted several videos of destruction and search efforts.
Precipitation in Sao Sebastiao had surpassed 600mm (23.6 inches) within 24 hours over the weekend, among the largest such downpours ever in such a short period in Brazil.
