G1: Rainfall, landslides kill 19 in Brazil, leave hundreds homeless

MEXICO CITY, Feb 20 – Abnormal rainfall in the coastal zone of the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo caused devastating floods and landslides – 19 people died, 338 were left homeless. informed G1 portal with a link to local services.

“Torrential rains over the past 24 hours have killed 19 people and caused damage in several areas of São Paulo, mainly on the coast. Storms have caused floods, landslides, hundreds of people were left homeless, the Rio Santos highway, Mogi Bertioga and Tamoyos are blocked,” the publication says.

According to media reports, dozens of houses in various municipalities were completely destroyed by water flows or rock falls, 228 people were evacuated and 338 lost their homes. Due to difficult conditions, helicopter rescuers could not quickly reach the coast near the city of San Sebastian, where people were under the rubble.

The governor of São Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas, together with the leadership of civil defense, are in Sao Cristobal, where 600 millimeters of rain fell in a day and more than 50 houses were destroyed. Local authorities declared an emergency and canceled the carnival program, the Brazilian army announced the dispatch of military aircraft to the affected area.