Landslides caused by heavy rains killed nearly 30 people in the metropolitan region of Recife, the capital of northeastern Pernambuco state in Brazil. More than 760 people have been forced to leave their homes. 33 municipalities in Alagoas, another state in the region, have declared an emergency due to the effects of the heavy rains which collapsed houses. 91 deaths have been confirmed from weekend flooding in Pernambuco and more than two dozen people were missing. The most dramatic event occurred early on Saturday morning when 19 people died in a major landslide in the Jardim Monteverde community.
Authorities warned that rain was forecast to continue. Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday flew over the affected area. “Unfortunately, these catastrophes happen in a continent-sized country,” he said. Teams from the armed forces, the ministry of defence and the ministry of citizenship were deployed to assist in relief operations and provide the necessary aid to affected families.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has classified Recife’s metropolitan region as one of the world’s most vulnerable cities. The disaster is the latest in a recent series of deadly landslides and floods triggered by extreme weather in the country. In February, more than 230 people were killed in the city of Petropolis.