By Eduardo Simões and Isabel Teles
SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 24 (Reuters) – At least 22 people died after heavy rains hit Brazil’s southeastern state of Minas Gerais, local authorities said on Tuesday.
The state fire department confirmed 16 deaths in the city of Juiz de Fora and six in Uba, about 110 km (68.35 miles) away.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva offered his condolences in a post on X. “Our focus is to ensure humanitarian assistance, the restoration of basic services, support for displaced people, and aid for reconstruction,” he wrote.
About 440 people have been displaced in Juiz de Fora, the city hall said, as the rain triggered flooding and landslides and forced the suspension of classes in municipal schools.
Specialized teams have been mobilized to respond to incidents and search for missing people, it added.
News outlet G1 reported that 45 people were missing in the city, including children.
PUBLIC CALAMITY
Brazil’s government has recognized a state of calamity in Juiz de Fora, speeding up relief and humanitarian aid, it said in a statement.
Much of Brazil enters the peak of its rainy season during the local summer, from December to March, bringing frequent intense downpours, thunderstorms, flooding and mudslides.
The Juiz de Fora city hall said this has been the rainiest February in the city’s history, with rainfall already more than double the amount expected for the month.
Mayor Margarida Salomao said in a statement on social media that the situation was “critical”.
Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology issued on Tuesday heavy‑rain alerts for parts of 14 states, including the entire area of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.
(Reporting by Isabel Teles and Eduardo Simoes in Sao Paulo, Rodrigo Viga Gaier in Rio de Janeiro; Editing by Gabriel Araujo, Chizu Nomiyama and Sharon Singleton)
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