The homeless are being sheltered in schools, kindergartens and churches in São Sebastiao. About 7.5 tonnes of aid items including food, water and hygiene kits have already been distributed to the victims, according to the state government of São Paulo.
But not all aid has reached its intended destination, with criminals taking advantage of the chaos and looting trucks carrying donations, De Freitas told the G1 news outlet.
The worst hit was Sao Sebastiao city in the state of São Paulo, where at least 35 were dead. In neighbouring Ubatuba, a seven-year-old girl was killed. The disaster, in an area famous for beaches flanked by mountains, prompted cancellations in many cities of the Carnival festivities, now in full swing elsewhere in the country.
Governor Tarcisio de Freitas told television network Globo that 40 people were missing. Nearly 800 people were homeless and 1,730 people have been displaced, the São Paulo state government said in a statement.
TV footage showed flooded homes with only their roofs visible. Residents used small boats to carry items and people to elevated positions.
Search and rescue teams raced to find dozens of people that remained missing after heavy rains devastated coastal areas of Brazil’s south-eastern São Paulo state, as the official death toll rose to 48.
“We are currently working with a tally of at least 38 missing people,” the São Paulo governor, TarcÃsio de Freitas, told reporters on Wednesday, as weather forecasters cautioned more rain was on its way.
Massive downpours have caused landslides and flooding in coastal towns of Brazil’s richest state, which has so far been hit by more than 600mm (23.6 inches) of rain, the highest cumulative figure ever in the country. The city of São Sebastiao, located about 200km (124.3 miles) from São Paulo, bore the brunt of the human toll, with 47 of the reported deaths. But nearby towns such as Ilhabela, Caraguatatuba, Bertioga and Ubatuba were also heavily affected.
The state government said more rain was expected on Wednesday as a new cold front favours the formation of heavy clouds over the region, with “moderate to heavy showers” forecast to fall until early evening, after a cloudy morning.
Key roads such as the Mogi-Bertioga and Rio-Santos highways remained blocked due to landslides, the government added, while state-run water company Sabesp managed to restore supply to the region.
Government and private aid groups were scrambling to provide necessities, but the logistics of reaching the isolated towns was creating difficulties. Homes, roads and bridges were damaged or destroyed. Classes have been suspended. The Civil Defence has been operating in the region since 06 March in support of residents and to carry out full damage assessments. Civil Defence has distributed relief supplies such as clothing, food and hygiene items.
Deputy Governor of the state, Gabriel Souza, conducted an aerial assessment of the damage on 07 March and conducted meetings with local government officials and Civil Defence.
“We are also planning the next actions, which involve the recovery of roads, bridges, schools and other damaged spaces. We received requests for an emergency decree from the municipalities and we will recognize them to ensure faster action in whatever is necessary”, the Deputy Governor said.
The municipality of Itati has already declared a state of emergency. Maquiné, Três Forquilhas, Dom Pedro de Alcântara and Morrinhos do Sul are all likely to follow suit.
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