Southeastern Brazil faces a devastating humanitarian crisis following catastrophic rainfall that has claimed at least 30 lives, with rescue teams urgently searching for 39 individuals still missing. The state of Minas Gerais experienced unprecedented flooding and massive landslides after a river burst its banks during an overnight deluge, transforming streets into raging torrents of brown water.
In the hillside neighborhood of Parque Burnier within Juiz de Fora, a devastating landslide swept away 12 homes while residents slept. Major Demetrius Goulart of the fire brigade confirmed the tragedy occurred during nighttime hours when families were indoors. Rescue operations involving firefighters, sniffer dogs, and civilian volunteers continue amid the rubble, where personal items including children’s toys and teddy bears have been unearthed, highlighting the human toll of the disaster.
Juiz de Fora’s Mayor Margarida Salomao has declared a state of emergency, reporting the municipality’s wettest February on record with 584 millimeters (23 inches) of accumulated rainfall. The extreme weather has isolated neighborhoods, triggered at least 20 landslides, and forced approximately 3,000 residents from their homes. State authorities have suspended classes in all municipal schools as the region focuses on recovery efforts.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has pledged federal support, emphasizing the priority of humanitarian assistance, restoration of basic services, and aid to displaced citizens. This tragedy marks another chapter in Brazil’s recent history of climate-related disasters, following the 2024 southern floods that claimed over 200 lives and the 2022 Petropolis deluge that killed 241 people. Climate experts consistently link these increasingly frequent extreme weather events to the broader impacts of climate change, highlighting a pattern of intensifying natural disasters across the country.