On the carnival weekend, many Brazilians are drawn to the coast of the state of Sao Paulo. But then disaster strikes. Extremely heavy rain falls within 24 hours, causing flooding and landslides. At least 36 people lose their lives.
Floods and landslides have killed at least 36 people over the carnival weekend after heavy rains hit the coastal regions of southeastern Brazil. Hundreds of people were still buried, the authorities in the state of Sao Paulo said. Dozens of families lost their homes.
Experts spoke of an unprecedented extreme weather event. The state of Sao Paulo declared a state of emergency for six cities. São Sebastião, where many people from São Paulo, around 200 kilometers away, spend the carnival weekend, was one of the hardest hit.
According to the city administration, 60 centimeters of rain fell within 24 hours. The city's mayor, Felipe Augusto, spoke of an "extremely critical" situation, and carnival events in the city were canceled.
Images on television and online networks show entire neighborhoods in the city of Sao Sebastiao being submerged and debris being washed away from homes. It also shows flooded highways and cars damaged by fallen trees.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced that he would visit the hardest-hit areas on Monday. More heavy rains are forecast for the region, making it difficult for rescue workers to find missing people. The authorities fear that the number of victims will continue to rise.
The army used helicopters to rescue the victims. In the midst of the sad events, there were also "two miracles", the government of São Paulo tweeted. A trapped two-year-old child and a pregnant woman in labor and her baby were rescued.
Last year, more than 230 people died in floods and landslides in the city of Petrópolis in southeastern Brazil.
