The death toll from torrential rains that caused floods and landslides in northeastern Brazil had risen to 100 officials said Tuesday, as rescue workers searched for more victims.
The landslides ripped apart houses in neighborhoods such as Jardim Monteverde, a poor community just outside of Recife.
Rescue workers have found dozens of bodies buried in the mud that tore through the neighborhood on Saturday and said they expect to find more.
At least 14 people remain missing, said disaster management officials for the state of Pernambuco, scene of the latest in a series of deadly weather disasters to hit the country in recent months.
President Jair Bolsonaro posted a video on Twitter that showed him flying in a helicopter over the disaster zone where brown floodwater inundated large areas and gashes of mud scarred hillsides where houses once stood.
– Sobrevoo em Recife e Jaboatão nas áreas mais atingidas pelas últimas chuvas.
– Juntamente com vários ministros anunciamos medidas para atender a população. pic.twitter.com/mmxRulT4oZ— Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) May 30, 2022
“I tried to land, but the pilots’ recommendation was that, given the instability of the soil, we could have an accident. So we decided against it,” the far-right president told a news conference.
He recalled a series of devastating floods in Brazil in recent months that have killed hundreds of people and are being exacerbated by climate change, according to experts.
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