Brazil Death Toll: 126 Dead After Heavy Rainfall, More Than 9,000 Lose Homes

Brazil's death toll on the heavy rains that caused floods and landslides in the Pernambuco state rose to 126 on Friday.

The number of fatalities following the tragedy in Recife, the state's capital, was confirmed by the government of the northeastern state of Brazil, according to a Business Standard news report.

Meanwhile, state authorities claimed that at least two individuals were still missing as of Friday. Firefighters and army soldiers were still working to look for the two missing victims. Trained rescue dogs were also at the site of the tragedy to give aid in the search.

Officials did not mention the identities of the casualties.

A total of 31 municipalities in the Pernambuco state were affected and declared a state of emergency due to the rains. At least 51 towns or municipalities experienced damage in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Reports claimed that the recent floods and landslides in Pernambuco were the worst tragedy the state has experienced in the 21st Century and the second worst in the state's history after the May 1966 flooding that caused the Capibaribe river to overflow and left 175 dead.

The Aftermath of Brazil Rainfall

Residents of Brazil's Pernambuco state were still afraid of what will happen to their surroundings, following the floods and landslides that caused a record high number of deaths.

One resident of Recife told Agence France Press (AFP) described how the tragedy took a toll on them, per BBC.

"We have children, we have all our things inside the house. We stay up until dawn, afraid that the hill will fall on us," the unnamed resident of Recife said.

Another woman who reportedly lived on the hillside told the outlet that they are very nervous because whenever it rains, the hill where their home is located "gives a little way."

Brazil's heavy rains also affected several other states, including Alagoas, Rio Grande do Norte, and Sergipe, aside from the Pernambuco state.

According to reports, four people died in the state of Alagoas, and nearly 12,00 people remain homeless following the tragedy.

The Cause of Brazil's Heavy Rainfall

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that the climate crisis is making destructive extreme weather more common globally. The organization then noted that the northeastern part of Brazil will experience extreme events more frequently.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro visited the site of the tragedy on Monday. However, the chief executive explained that their helicopter was not able to land, citing the recommendation of their pilot.

"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.

It was not the first time this year that Brazil recorded hundreds of people dying from heavy rains. It can be recalled that at least 200 individuals lost their lives in Petropolis when flash flooding destroyed hillside neighborhoods in February.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

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