At least 14 people have died after heavy rains triggered flooding and landslides in Juiz de Fora, southeastern Brazil, with about 440 residents displaced by the disaster, according to a Reuters report.
Emergency response teams were deployed to search for missing people and assist affected communities, while municipal authorities suspended classes in public schools to help rescue workers access flooded and landslide-prone areas.
Authorities described the situation as “critical,” with Mayor Margarida Salomao urging people living in vulnerable locations to remain alert as relief operations continued.
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Officials said rainfall levels in Juiz de Fora this February have already exceeded twice the historical average for the month. Following the emergency, federal and state agencies were mobilized after a state of public calamity was declared in Minas Gerais.
The Brazil National Institute of Meteorology issued heavy-rain warnings covering parts of 14 Brazilian states, including Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, cautioning that more storms, flooding and mudslides may occur as Brazil remains in its rainy season from December to March. Rescue operations are still underway.