SAO PAULO (AP) — Heavy rain caused flooding and landslides that have killed 36 people in Brazil’s northern state of Sao Paulo, officials said on Sunday, and the death toll could rise.
The Sao Paulo state government said in a statement that 35 people were killed in the city of Sao Sebastiao and a 7-year-old girl in neighboring Ubatuba.
The cities of Sao Sebastiao, Ubatuba, Ilhabela and Bertioga, some of the hardest hit and now in distress, have canceled their carnival celebrations as rescue teams scramble to find missing, injured and feared dead in the rubble.
“Our rescue teams are unable to get to multiple locations; It’s a chaotic situation,” said Felipe Augusto, the mayor of Sao Sebastiao. He later added that dozens of people were missing and that 50 houses in the city collapsed due to the landslides.
Augusto posted several videos on social media of widespread destruction in his city, including one showing a baby being rescued by locals lined up on a flooded street.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Twitter that he would visit the region on Monday.
The Sao Paulo state government said in a statement that the amount of rainfall in the region exceeded 600 millimeters (23.6 inches) in one day, one of the highest amounts ever recorded in Brazil in such a short period of time.
The state government announced that Bertioga alone had 687 millimeters during this period.
Governor Tarcisio de Freitas said in a statement he had requested support from the army, which had dispatched two planes and rescue teams to the area.
TV footage showed flooded houses, with only the roof visible. Residents use small boats to transport objects and people to higher positions. A road connecting Rio de Janeiro to the port city of Santos has been blocked by landslides and flooding.
The north coast of Sao Paulo state is a frequent carnival destination for wealthy tourists who prefer to stay away from massive street parties in big cities.
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