JUIZ DE FORA, Feb 25, (V7N) - At least 30 people have died and 39 remain missing after torrential rains triggered devastating landslides and flooding in southeastern Brazil’s Minas Gerais state, officials said Tuesday.

A river burst its banks, turning streets into raging currents of brown water. In Juiz de Fora, 12 houses were swept away in a massive landslide, with many residents trapped inside. Firefighters, aided by sniffer dogs and volunteers, continued rescue operations, pulling survivors and bodies from the rubble.

Mayor Margarida Salomao declared a state of emergency, noting the city had recorded its wettest February on record with 584 millimeters of rainfall. More than 3,000 people were displaced, and at least 20 landslides isolated neighborhoods.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pledged humanitarian assistance and reconstruction support.

Brazil has faced repeated extreme weather disasters in recent years, including unprecedented flooding in 2024 that killed over 200 people, and the 2022 Petropolis deluge that left 241 dead. Experts link these events to climate change.

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