Brazil Floods: 36 Dead, Dozens Missing as Heavy Rain Triggers Landslides in Minas Gerais

Dozens of people remained missing in southeastern Brazil on Wednesday after devastating floods claimed at least 36 lives in the state of Minas Gerais, authorities said. Rescue teams continued operations overnight amid forecasts of more heavy rain in the coming days.

All confirmed fatalities have been reported in the cities of Juiz de Fora and Ubá, located roughly 310 kilometers north of Rio de Janeiro. The Minas Gerais Fire Department stated that 33 people were still unaccounted for as of Wednesday morning, while approximately 3,000 residents had been displaced by the flooding.

In Juiz de Fora, a city of around 560,000 people, streets were left blanketed in mud, raising fears of additional landslides. Daily life in nearby Ubá, home to about 107,000 residents, was largely disrupted. Authorities suspended classes in both cities as a precautionary measure.

Juiz de Fora’s City Hall announced that nearly 600 families living in high-risk areas were set to be relocated to temporary shelters established in local schools. Officials also noted that the city recorded nearly double the rainfall typically expected for February. Mayor Margarida Salomão reported that at least 20 landslides had occurred since torrential rains began on Monday evening.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday that federal security forces and health care teams had been deployed to assist affected communities and support ongoing rescue efforts in the region, which is characterized by hills and slopes vulnerable to landslides.