Hundreds of people lose loved ones, homes and hope as massive rain cause flooding in Brazil

Officials say at least 15 people have died in south-eastern Brazil due to landslides and flooding induced by excessive rains. The deaths occurred between Sunday and Tuesday in the state of Minas Gerais, where rivers overflowed, partially submerging communities. Over 28,000 individuals have been forced to flee their homes.

Authorities are keeping an eye on dams that may rupture, as more rain could fall on the hardest-hit areas.

Five members of the same family, two of whom were youngsters, were discovered buried on a mountainside near Belo Horizonte, the state capital. An 11-year-old girl was killed when a wall in her bedroom collapsed as she was sleeping in the city of So Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo.

In the city of Caratinga, two more people were killed, including a 41-year-old male who was killed after his automobile crashed into a river while attempting to cross a bridge. Two women, aged 55 and 79, perished in Perdigo after their automobile was swept away by floods.

The Paraopeba River burst its banks in the town of Juatuba, flooding numerous neighbourhoods. "Everything was taken away from us. My wife and children evacuated from the house in a boat," said a person.

According to Brazil's mining agency, 36 mining dams in the state are in a condition of emergency. A dam at an iron ore mine in Nova Lima dribbled on Saturday, causing two days of traffic delays on a major route.

Authorities in Pará de Minas were keeping an eye on the Carioca hydroelectric dam in case it ruptured. Because of the extreme weather, 341 of the state's 853 municipalities have declared a state of emergency, according to the civil defence office.

The extreme rain was caused by a summer phenomenon known as the South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ), which brings significant rainfall, according to meteorologists. Belo Horizonte had 241.7mm (9.5 inches) of rain in 72 hours, compared to 329mm on average for the month of January.

La Nia, a climate phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean that can affect weather worldwide, is also to blame for the severe weather.

Climate change, according to experts, is also contributing to extreme weather events around the planet.