Torrential rains kill 16 on Brazil coast, dozens missing

Brazil’s southeast region has been hit by heavy rains this year, causing recurrent floods and landslides

Vehicles that were carried away in flash floods after heavy rains lay in a creek in the Realengo neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, March 2, 2020.

A storm that pummeled Brazil’s southeastern coast early Tuesday caused landslides and killed at least 16 people. Dozens more were missing.

The deaths occurred in the cities of Guaruja, Santos and Sao Vicente of Sao Paulo state, with the former hardest hit, according to a statement from its civil defense office. The office estimates 200 people have been displaced in Guaruja.

Brazil’s southeast region has been hit by heavy rains this year, causing recurrent floods and landslides. The worst instance came in January, when dozens perished in landslides in the interior state of Minas Gerais.

Some parts of Rio de Janeiro were flooded on Sunday and Monday, and several people died, according to local firefighters. Further, state authorities said more than 5,000 people had been forced from their homes.

Moderate to strong rain was expected to continue Tuesday along Sao Paulo’s coast, according to the civil defense office.