Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called for joint action to face the disasters caused by the rains on the north coast of Sao Paulo
This photo released by Sao Sebastiao City Hall shows part of the damage. (Photos: Taken from the Internet)
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called on 20th February for a joint federal, state and local action to deal with the disasters caused by the rains on the north coast of Sao Paulo.
After flying over the storm-hit areas over the weekend, Lula spoke about building homes on safe land for families who have been harmed by the downpours in the area.
Around 500 people, including police officers, firefighters and members of the armed forces, are taking part in the rescue and identification tasks of the victims this Monday.
“They (the mayor of the city of Sao Sebastião, Felipe Augusto), just have to find a safer ground so that we can (tell) the people: they will have their nest again to take care of their family,” said the founder. the Labor Party.
He asked for prayers for the victims, who have left 36 dead and 40 missing to date, and for the rains to ease in the area.
“I think that good prayer with a lot of faith always helps people conquer what people want,” he explained.
He also emphasized the joint work of the federal government with the federal states and local authorities.
“I wanted to show you a scene that you haven’t seen in Brazil: a governor, a president and a mayor sitting around a table based on a common cause that affects us all,” he noted.
Around 500 people, including police officers, firefighters and members of the armed forces, are taking part in the rescue and identification tasks of the victims this Monday.
Sao Sebastião is the most affected place.
Sao Sebastião is the hardest hit place, where 35 of the 36 fatalities were reported. The other was in Ubatuba.
In an army helicopter, Lula made the tour accompanied by Minister Márcio França, Ports and Airports; Alexandre Padilha, Institutional Relations; Simone Tebet, planning and budgets; Paulo Pimenta, Communications Secretary (Secom); Waldez Góes, Integration and Regional Development and Renan Filho, Transport.
He later met with the Governor of Sao Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, and the Mayor Augusto in Sao Sebastião.
The storms caused flooding, landslides and sections of the Rio-Santos, Mogi-Bertyoga and Tamoios highways.
According to Civil Defense, rainfall over the past 24 hours exceeded expectations for all of February’s rainfall in three of the four north coast cities (Sao Sebastião, Ilhabela, Caraguatatuba and Ubatuba), a hard-hit region.
More than 550 people had to leave their homes on the coast.
The São Paulo government confirmed that more than 550 people had to evacuate their homes on the coast due to the bad weather. According to official figures, 228 people became homeless and 338 became homeless.
Due to the hellish situation, Governor De Freitas decreed a state of disaster in Ubatuba, Sao Sebastião, Ilhabela, Caraguatatuba (all on the north coast) as well as Bertyoga.
