Two dams gave way in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia after weeks of heavy rains, swamping already swollen local rivers as flooding hit towns across the region. The number of victims of floods that hit the Brazilian state of Bahia (northeast) has risen to 18, the authorities announced on Sunday, while torrential rains forced 35,000 people to flee.
Rescuers in Bahia confirmed the death of a 60-year-old man who drowned in a river in the municipality of Orilino overnight.
The Civil Protection Authority in Bahia announced the displacement of 19,580 people, in addition to 16,000 others looking for shelter, bringing the death toll of the displaced to 35,000.
The agency also announced that 286 people were injured since the start of the heavy rains, and two people were missing.286 people were injured since the start of the heavy rains, and two people were missing.
The situation was exacerbated by the rains that fell on the region during the past hours, affecting more than 430,000 people, according to estimates.
By Sunday afternoon, the number of towns that had declared a state of emergency had risen to 72, of which 58 were suffering from severe flood crises.
“It is a tremendous tragedy,” said Governor Rui Costa, who inspected the affected areas by plane Sunday.
“I don’t remember anything of this magnitude in the modern history of Bahia. The number of houses, streets and towns completely submerged in water is really terrifying.”
On Sunday, a joint operation was launched Saturday by the Bahia state government and the federal government, with the participation of personnel, helicopters and equipment to relieve thousands of residents trapped by floods, in cooperation with other states such as Minas Gerais, Espiritu Santo and São Paulo.