At least 44 people have died in Pernambuco, due to heavy rains that have affected the northeastern state of Brazil since the beginning of the week, official sources said. Thirty of the victims lost their lives last Saturday alone.
Twenty people died during a landslide in a village in the Ibura neighborhood, in the southern area of Recife, capital of the state of Pernambuco, according to the latest bulletin from the National Secretariat of Defense and Civil Protection (SEDEC) of Brazil. The municipality of Camaragibe confirmed six more dead, after a landslide in a wooded area of the city.
At least 500 people were left homeless, so the Recife municipality opened schools and nurseries to accommodate families who had to leave their homes. Authorities also advised 32,000 families to withdraw from risk areas and offered shelter in municipal facilities, while others stayed with friends or relatives.
⚠️ FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS NORTHEASTERN STATES AFFECTED BY HEAVY RAIN
minister of @mdregional_br is in the region and has already flown over municipalities of Alagoas.
Pernambuco and Paraíba are also on the radar.
The Federal Government has about R$ 1 billion available to help the affected cities. pic.twitter.com/MKgVaVm92p
— SecomVc (@secomvc) May 28, 2022
Jair Bolsonaro announced this Sunday that he will go to Recife on Monday, May 30, to witness the destruction and “better find out about the tragedy.” The President of Brazil assured that the Government made available “all its means to help those affected, including the Armed Forces.”
– Tragedy of the rains in PE and AL.
– Our Government made available, from the outset, all its means to help those affected, including the Armed Forces.
– On Monday morning (May 30) I will travel to Recife to, in loco, learn more about the tragedy.
— Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) May 29, 2022
The rains caused several landslides and floods throughout the state of Pernambuco, mainly in Recife and the metropolitan region. In just 24 hours, between 11:00 p.m. on Friday and 11:00 a.m. on Saturday (between 3:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Saturday in Lisbon), the city of Recife registered 70% of the forecast of rain for the entire month of May, underlined the SEDEC.
The governor of Pernambuco, Paulo Câmara, announced the appointment of 92 new members of the Fire Department, who will take office starting June 6, to reinforce the rescue of those affected by the floods, reported the newspaper O Globo. The governor also requested the support of personnel from the Armed Forces, as well as ships and aircraft from the Brazilian army.
Source: Observadora
