Brazil Mudslide Disaster: Pres. Jair Bolsonaro Visits Petropolis, Says Destruction Looks Like War Zone

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro went to Petropolis on Friday after floods and mudslides killed at least 117 people in the mountain city, and hundreds are still missing.

During his visit, Bolsonaro compared the destruction to an aftermath of a war, Al Jazeera reported.

"I saw intense destruction. It looked almost like there had been a war," Bolsonaro noted after seeing the city located in the mountains north of Rio de Janeiro state that was hit by torrential rainfall.

Bolsonaro, who just returned from an official trip to Russia and Hungary, has promised to provide federal assistance to help the people in the city and start rebuilding the area.

Brazil Mudslide Death Toll Expected to Climb

It was unclear whether there was an addition to the death toll in the mudslide disaster caused by more than a month's worth of rain that fell on Tuesday.

However, officials from the city noted that the death toll could still rise as many people were still unaccounted for on Friday.

"I've been living here for 44 years and never saw anything like that... All my friends are gone. They are all dead, all buried," Maria Jose Dante de Araujo, a resident, said.

On Thursday, Petropolis officials said at least 117 were dead, and 116 were missing. A local morgue reportedly used a refrigerated truck as a backup as more victims are being brought in, and other bodies are still waiting to be identified by their families.

Meanwhile, the number of people who have been left homeless from the disaster increased from 400 to 700 as of Friday.

'Poor Land Use and Unpreparedness' Caused the Mudslide Disaster in Brazil

Researchers and public officials think that the landslide was caused by "poor planning, lack of financing for subsidized housing, and rapid urbanization."

They also told the Associated Press that little has been done concerning repeated warnings about the risks of mountainside construction.

"Rain is the great villain, but the main cause is poor land use, there is a total lack of planning," said Antônio Guerra, a geography professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

Guerra further noted that many high-risk areas are even more vulnerable because of deforestation or inadequate drainage.

Reports said early settlers in Petropolis built stately homes along its waterways. However, the city's prosperity enticed newcomers from poorer regions, resulting in mountainsides being covered with small houses packed tightly together.

Climate change is reportedly another factor in the landslide. Experts said heavy rains are typical in the region, especially from December to March. However, experts noted that climate change made the rains heavier.

"They are all weather extremes, happening very close to one another. Climate change also acts to increase the frequency of events, and we are clearly observing this," said Brazil's National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters coordinator Marcelo Seluchi.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Dramatic Footage Shows Moment Deadly Brazil Mudslide Started - From The Telegraph