36 People Killed Due to Floods and Landslides After Heavy Rains in Brazil

Illustration of floods in Brazil. (Wikimedia Commons/Manu Dias/AGECOM)

JAKARTA - At least 36 people have died and hundreds more have been left homeless, after heavy rains that lashed Brazil's southeastern coastal region caused flooding and landslides, Sao Paulo State authorities said in a statement Sunday.

Rescue workers continued to search for survivors, reconnecting isolated settlements and clearing roads, some of which are still blocked, trapping scores of tourists traveling for Brazilian Carnival celebrations.

Forecasts suggest heavy rains will continue in the coastal region of Sao Paulo, challenging civil defense and firefighters' rescue teams, raising the prospect of a higher death toll.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government set out to mobilize several ministries to assist the victims, restore infrastructure and start reconstruction work.

The state of Sao Paulo declared a 180-day state of disaster for six cities, after experts previously described current events as "unprecedented" extreme weather.

Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas will meet with federal officials to coordinate the response to the tragedy on Monday, the statement said.

Separately, operations at the Port of Santos, Latin America's largest port, were disrupted amid gusts exceeding 55 kpm (34 mph) and waves over one meter high on Saturday, according to local news outlets.

The plan is for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is attending a carnival in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia, to visit the affected areas on Monday, his office said.