Brazil: Death Toll of Heavy Rains Rise to 91; Pres. Jair Bolsonaro Visits Site of Tragedy
The death toll from Brazil's landslides and floods caused by heavy rains rose to increase on Monday. Here's what Pres. Jair Bolsonaro says about the tragedy. SERGIO MARANHAO/AFP via Getty Images

Brazil's death toll on the heavy rains that caused landslides and floods rose to 91 on Monday as the search and rescue operations continue to take place in the state of Pernambuco, as reported by the Associated Press. The identities of the casualties were not mentioned by the authorities.

Meanwhile, Civil Defense confirmed in a statement that at least 26 people are still missing as of Monday, according to CNN. However, State Governor Paulo Camara noted that many more people could be left unaccounted for.

Civil Defense also noted that the flooding caused by heavy rains in Pernambuco displaced at least 5,000 people from their homes. The department also reinforced its alert about still high-risk landslides.

Reports claimed that rains continued to pour on Monday but with less intensity.

Brazil's Pres. Jair Bolsonaro Visits the Affected Site of Heavy Rains

President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday visited Pernambuco to survey the effect of heavy rains that caused floods and landslides in the region.

Bolsonaro went to the state through a helicopter, and he shared on Twitter footage of what he saw, according to WION.

The footage showed the Brazilian president flying over the Recife and Jobaotao, the areas most affected by the heavy rains. The footage also revealed areas in the northeastern part of Brazil that are still flooded and the area where the land collapsed. At one point, the president also waved his arms from the helicopter.

Speaking at a news conference, President Jair Bolsonaro noted that he tried to land, but the pilot of their helicopter stressed that the instability of the soil could cause an accident. That was why they refrained from getting off the aircraft.

Bolsonaro then tweeted the movement taken by his administration in addressing the aftermath of the tragedy that killed individuals in Pernambuco.

According to Bolsonaro, an emergency was declared among the 14 cities in the state, making it possible for the affected areas to request federal funds that will assist the victims, rebuild damaged structures, and restore essential services.

The president also pointed out that soldiers from all forces were also deployed to support work in the affected areas. Bolsonaro underscored that about 500 personnel were assigned to help remove rubble, transport people and patients, and restore traffic.

"We ask God to console all the families who suffer their losses today. We are not measuring efforts to reach out to these people, but we know that only He can comfort their hearts and give them strength to move forward," President Jair Bolsonaro said.

Cause of Heavy Rains in Brazil

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the climate crisis is making destructive extreme weather more common globally. The organization noted that the northeastern region of Brazil is projected to decrease, but extreme rain events are expected to occur more frequently and intensely.

Officials from Brazil claimed that the northeastern region of the country has been suffering from high volumes of rain. Pernambuco state is forecasted to get another 30 to 60 millimeters of rain in the next two days.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Flooding in Recife After Heavy Rain Strikes Brazil | Chuva inundação no Recife - From Evolution Crisis