At least 20 people died in the Zona da Mata region of Minas Gerais after the storms that have been hitting the area since Monday night (23), with severe impacts in Juiz de Fora and Ubá, according to information published by Folha de São Paulo. In Juiz de Fora, the most affected city, 16 deaths were confirmed, while another four occurred in Ubá.
In Juiz de Fora, the damages led Mayor Margarida Salomão (PT) to declare a state of public calamity early Tuesday morning (24). According to the report released, the victims in the city were in the JK and Santa Rita neighborhoods, with four deaths in each locality; Vila Ideal, with two; as well as reports in the Lourdes, Vila Alpina, São Benedito, and Vila Olavo Costa neighborhoods.
The city hall reported that 440 people were left homeless and received emergency shelter. According to the mayor, the storm caused at least 20 burials of properties, mainly in the southeast region of the municipality. Civil Defense attended 251 incidents related to the rains.
In the Parque Jardim Burnier neighborhood, a slope landslide buried 12 properties. At the site, at least four deaths were recorded and 17 people are missing. Teams from the Fire Department, Civil Defense, and volunteers from private companies are working on searches and victim rescues. On Tuesday morning, a woman was found alive on Rua do Carmelo, in the Paineiras neighborhood.
Images shared on social media show residents trying to rescue stranded neighbors, houses collapsing, and streets completely flooded. In one of the help requests posted on Instagram, the message states: “A house collapsed and there’s a person trapped.” A resident of the Grajaú neighborhood said he could not get assistance from the Fire Department.
Juiz de Fora is facing the rainiest February in its history, with an accumulated 584 millimeters so far, a volume equivalent to double the forecasted monthly average. In addition to the burials, tree falls were recorded and several neighborhoods were isolated by floodwaters.
Faced with the scenario, the mayor declared: “This is an extreme situation that allows for extreme measures.” Classes were suspended and municipal headquarters staff switched to remote work. The public calamity decree, valid for 180 days, allows for faster access to state and federal resources.
Margarida Salomão also highlighted the need for social mobilization to face the crisis. “We are doing everything we can to help people and save lives,” she said, noting that the municipality will need a recovery period.
The intensity of the rains caused the Paraibuna River to overflow and led to the closure of the Vermelha Bridge and the Mergulhão Tunnel. Landslides blocked traffic on Serra dos Bandeirantes and Garganta Dilermando. On Avenida Brasil, fallen trees disrupted circulation. At least ten points in the city recorded flooding, some of which already had water drainage by Tuesday morning, according to city hall.
In Ubá, 111 kilometers from Juiz de Fora, the storm left at least four dead. The Fire Department reported receiving more than 70 calls involving disappearances, landslides, tree falls, collapses, and stranded people. Public services were affected and the city hall started a supply collection campaign, highlighting on social media that “families lost everything.”
Source: brasil247.com