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Brazil Floods and Landslides Kill 40 in Minas Gerais as Search Continues for Dozens Missing

Forecast rain over saturated hillsides is hampering searches after Juiz de Fora recorded its wettest February on record.

Overview

  • Rescue services report at least 40 fatalities in Juiz de Fora and Ubá, with roughly 27–33 people still unaccounted for as operations continue.
  • About 3,000 residents have been forced from their homes, shelters have been opened, and classes were suspended in the hardest‑hit cities.
  • Firefighters, sniffer dogs, boats, and heavy machinery are deployed in large search‑and‑rescue efforts, with more than 200 people pulled to safety.
  • The Paraibuna River overflowed and multiple landslides destroyed homes, damaged bridges, and blocked dozens of roads, isolating neighborhoods and disrupting utilities.
  • Authorities declared a state of emergency and mobilized federal assistance, while INMET warns of additional heavy rain that could trigger further landslides.