Rising Death Toll from Brazil Floods: At Least 55 Dead in Minas Gerais State

Southeastern Brazil is grappling with one of the most tragic natural disasters in recent years. Since Monday night, the state of Minas Gerais has been devastated by extreme rainfall, which has caused rivers to overflow and triggered destructive mudslides. The epicenter of the tragedy is the city of Juiz de Fora, where record rainfall of 733 millimeters in a month was recorded, four times the historical average for February. The situation is dramatic, as dense housing on steep hillsides could not withstand the pressure of water-saturated soil, burying dozens of people in their own homes. The rescue operation led by the fire department and military is taking place under extremely difficult conditions. Rescuers, aided by sniffer dogs, are searching through mounds of mud, although hope of finding survivors under the rubble is steadily diminishing. By Thursday evening, about 238 people had been rescued, but the fate of at least 14 residents remains unknown. The tragedy is compounded by reports of entire families affected by the disaster, including children who died due to building collapses. Local authorities in Juiz de Fora and Ubá have declared a state of natural disaster, closing schools and converting them into temporary shelters for thousands of people who have lost their homes. Brazil regularly experiences the effects of extreme weather events. In 2024, floods in the south of the country claimed over 200 victims, and in 2022, 241 people died in Petropolis. Experts point to the link between these events and climate change, as well as structural problems such as the lack of safe housing infrastructure for the poorest segments of society.President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has declared the full mobilization of the federal government to deliver humanitarian aid and rebuild damaged infrastructure. Meanwhile, the media has revealed alarming data regarding safety funding. According to reports from the newspaper „O Globo”, spending on combating the effects of heavy rains in the state of Minas Gerais has been reduced by nearly 95 percent over the last two years. This information sheds new light on the scale of the region's unpreparedness to deal with natural hazards. Meteorologists warn that the rain front will persist until the end of the weekend, which, given the extreme soil moisture saturation, threatens further landslides and additional material losses in the affected regions. „Nossa prioridade é garantir assistência humanitária, restabelecer serviços essenciais e apoiar as pessoas desalojadas.” (Our priority is to ensure humanitarian assistance, restore essential services, and support displaced people.) — Mayor of Juiz de Fora

Perspektywy mediów: Liberal media emphasize drastic budget cuts for flood infrastructure and lack of spatial planning in impoverished regions. Conservative media focus on the heroism of rescue services and the need for immediate federal aid for the devastated state.