Storm in Brazil Leaves at Least 19 Dead on Carnival Weekend
23:03 GMT 19.02.2023 (Updated: 05:22 GMT 20.02.2023)
© Flickr / L.C. Nøttaasen / Brazil - FlagBrazil - Flag
© Flickr / L.C. Nøttaasen / Brazil - Flag
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Torrential rain in Brazil has triggered flooding and landslides leaving at least 19 people dead on Sunday, according to authorities.
At least 19 people were killed in Sao Paulo on Sunday following flooding and landslides in Brazil's most populous city. The storm arrived on the same weekend as the Carnival of Brazil, an annual Brazilian festival held five days before Ash Wednesday.
In the meantime, media reports suggest that the death toll from the floods and landslides claimed 36 lives.
An additional 228 people were left homeless due to the storms and 338 were also evacuated just north of the city of Sao Paulo, the government said in a statement. They added that rescue crews were working to address those who were displaced by the storm.
An eyewitness shared a video to Twitter of a group of people attempting save a child while caught in thick mud.
"A group of people gathered in a chain to help rescue babies and children. The case happened in the middle of the mud, in São Sebastião, this Sunday (19)," wrote Twitter user @damadanoite14.
LITORAL DE SÃO PAULO - Um grupo de pessoas se reuniu em uma corrente para ajudar no resgate de bebês e crianças. O caso aconteceu em meio à lama, em São Sebastião, neste domingo (19).👏👏👏👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/0PCh51cFMd
— Maria P (@damadanoite14) February 19, 2023
A video of what appears to be Sunday's disastrous storm was also shared to Twitter.
Litoral Norte de São Paulo foi devastado pelas chuvas.
— tuca (@tucabr54) February 19, 2023
Ubatuba SP pic.twitter.com/Z0KdVSca90
BRASIL - Imagens de Boiçucanga, no município de São Sabastião, litoral norte de São Paulo, onde fortes chuvas causam estragos. pic.twitter.com/msCjPcwvP3
— tuca (@tucabr54) February 19, 2023