Brazil: Mudslides and floods from heavy rains took over 44 lives

Brazil: According to the local authorities, the death and damage caused by the mudslides and floods have been continuously increasing. On Wednesday, the death toll because of natural calamities has reached up to 44 at the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state.

The Mayor of Petropolis, Ruben Bomtemp, has said that the city has slammed by a deluge on Tuesday, adding that the number of dead people has been rising as the rescue operation is in progress. Till now, 21 people have been saved from the deluge, as per the authorities.

Earlier on Wednesday, the rescuers were joined by the civilians. Priscila Neves and other civilians were among the ones, who joined the rescue force team to find their disappeared parents.

Another citizen, a 49-year-old woman, Rosilene Virgilio, recalled the pleas of someone trapped in flood with teary eyes and stated that, "A woman was screaming and I could not save her. “Our city, unfortunately, is finished,” she added.

The mountainous region earlier also witnessed similar destruction, including one that has led to causing over 900 deaths. From then, Petropolis presented a plan to lower the risks of landslides, but works have been advancing slowly.

Meanwhile, Governor Claudio Castro said that situation was almost like a war, and that was mustering all the state governments heavy machinery to help in digging out the buried area.

The state fire department said that late Tuesday that the area had received around 25.8 cm of rain within the three hours Tuesday, almost as much as during the previous 30 days combined. Petropolis civil defence authority said moderate rain was expected on Wednesday afternoon and evening.

At the same time, Petropolis city hall has called three days of mourning. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has also expressed his solidarity with the victims during a trip to Russia, as did his counterpart, Russian President Vladimir Putin.