São Paulo, Brazil
Reuters
A Brazilian Navy ship arrived in the coastal city of São Sebastiao on Thursday to help rescue victims of the heavy rains afflicting southeast Brazil, which have killed at least 50 people and displaced thousands.
The Navy’s multi-purpose aircraft ship, its largest vessel, will serve as an emergency field hospital, and is equipped with helicopters and landing vehicles, as well as hospital beds.
Members of the Brazilian Navy unload a vehicle from the ship Navio Atlantico as part of relief operations for victims of landslides in São Sebastiao, Brazil, on 23rd February, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Roosevelt Cassio
Last weekend’s rainfall was the heaviest ever recorded in Brazil in a 24-hour period, according to government data, and left a trail of destruction along the coast of northern São Paulo state.
At least 38 people remain missing, while more than 3,000 have been forced to flee their homes, according to a statement from São Paulo’s State Government.
São Sebastiao, located some 200 kilometres from the metropolis of São Paulo, bore the brunt of the storms including nearly all of the reported deaths, as massive downpours provoked landslides and dangerous flooding.
More rainfall is expected in the coming days as humidity from the Atlantic Ocean and the Amazon rainforest creates conditions for “moderate to heavy showers,” according to the state government.
