BRASILIA, May 30(ABC): Torrential rains in northeastern Brazil have left at least 44 people dead and dozens missing, the government said Sunday, as rescuers capitalized on a lull in downpours to search for survivors.
“We registered 44 dead, 56 missing, 25 injured, 3,957 without shelter and 533 displaced,” Minister of Regional Development Daniel Ferreira told a press conference in Recife, the capital of hard-hit northeastern Pernambuco state.
The disaster is the latest in a recent series of deadly landslides and floods triggered by extreme weather in Brazil.
The number of dead had mounted from 34 since Saturday, with at least 28 killed in landslides, as heavy rains caused rivers to overflow and torrents of mud swept away everything in their path.
Authorities warned that heavy rain was forecast to continue Sunday, but the storm subsided in the morning.
As the weather broke, some 1,200 personnel resumed search and rescue work, state officials said, but Ferreira urged caution.
“Although it has stopped raining now, we are forecasting heavy rains for the next few days,” he said.
“So the first thing is to maintain self-protection measures.”
Between Friday night and Saturday morning, rainfall volume reached 70 percent of what was forecast for all of May in some parts of Recife.
