At least 23 people have died after torrential rainfall triggered severe flooding in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
Dozens of emergency responders, accompanied by search-and-rescue dogs trained for disaster situations, combed through piles of debris on Tuesday in the municipality of Juiz de Fora, where at least 18 fatalities have been confirmed, according to Al Jazeera.
Rescue teams are searching for more than 40 people who have been missing since the heavy rains began on Monday.
At least 440 people were displaced in the city, located about 310 kilometres (192 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro. Authorities also confirmed at least seven deaths in the nearby town of Uba.
“We’ve been here since last night to see if they survived under the ground,” Livia Rosa, a 44-year-old seamstress, told AFP. Several of her relatives were buried in the mud, she said, adding, “Hope is the last thing to die.”
Rainfall in the region is expected to continue in the coming days, further complicating rescue and recovery efforts.
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