The official death toll from widespread flooding in the northeastern Brazilian state of Hessefi, the capital of Pernambuco, rose to 79 on Sunday.
Another 56 people are still missing, according to a report released by Civil Protection in Pernambuco.
This is the fourth deadly flood in Brazil in the last five months, highlighting the lack of urban planning in slums in much of the larger Latin American country, often built on hillside, landslide-prone and flood-prone areas. Scientists are also studying whether and to what extent abnormal rainfall cycles in Brazil are linked to climate change.
Earlier, Civil Protection spoke of at least 13,000 displaced people, 6,000 of whom were in reception facilities designated by the authorities and another 7,000 went to stay in the homes of relatives or friends.
Via Twitter, Brazilian President Zaich Bolsonaro announced that he will visit Hessefi today, Monday. “Our government has made available from the outset all the means, including the armed forces, to provide assistance to those affected,” said the far-right leader.
In late December and early January, tens of people went missing and tens of thousands more were displaced when heavy rains hit Bahia (also northeast). At least 18 people were killed when extreme weather conditions hit the state of Sao Paulo in January. In February, the Petropolis tragedy unfolded in Rio, when landslides and floods claimed the lives of at least 233 people.
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