Landslides in southeastern Brazil have claimed 54 lives, according to the latest report released Friday, February 24 by authorities. More than 680 millimeters of rain fell in twenty-four hours at the end of last week in Sao Sebastiao, a seaside resort about 120 kilometers from Sao Paulo, more than double the monthly precipitation. Among the dead, the Sao Paulo state governor's office said 16 women, 15 men and 15 children were identified.
The authorities estimate that around 30 people are still missing and searches are continuing unabated in the neighborhoods most affected by landslides and floods. Around 4,000 people had to leave their homes.
Experts attribute these extreme events to a combination of the effects of climate change and uncontrolled urbanization. In Brazil, 9.5 million people live in areas prone to landslides or floods, many of them in favelas lacking basic sanitation, according to the country's National Natural Disaster Monitoring and Warning Center. , Cemaden.
