The number of victims of the Brazilian flood increased to 30 people, 47 others missing

ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH/Phillip Flores

JAKARTA - The death toll from floods and landslides that hit the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, has increased to 30 people.

The Secretariat for Defense and Civil Protection (SEDEC) noted a significant increase from the previous report which had a total of 23 fatalities.

Meanwhile, 47 other people were reported missing due to this disaster.

Most of the deaths were caused by a landslide that destroyed a number of houses in the city of Juiz de Fora.

Efforts to search for victims are still being carried out, while a large number of residents are still trapped in houses that are flooded.

The local weather agency expects rain to continue to fall on the region until Friday.

February was the wettest month in history in the city of Juiz de Fora with rainfall reaching 584 millimeters, twice the monthly average.

Heavy rain began to pour on Monday and continued throughout the night.

When the water level rose early Tuesday, the mayor of Juiz de Fora, Margarida Salomao, declared a state of emergency. The move was taken so that federal funding and resources would immediately come down.

"The situation is very serious," said Salomao, stressing that the government continues to try to save those trapped in the flood.