Over 100 landslides triggered by heavy rain leave at least 14 dead in Salvador, Brazil

© Manu Dias/ GOVBA
Landslides after heavy rain in Bairro do Lobato, Salvador, Brazil, April 2015.

    

Local civil defence officials today confirmed that at least 14 people have been killed in landslides near the city of Salvador in the Bahia region, north-eastern Brazil. Two people are still missing. Search and rescue operations, with assistance from military personnel, will continue today.

The landslides were triggered by heavy rain that fell between 26 and 28 April 2015. More than 100 landslides have been reported in the area, nearly all of them in the poorest areas on the steep hillsides around the city, such as Bom Juá, where 4 people died, and Bairro do Lobato, shown in the photos below.

Salvador Civil defence said that the heavy rain had caused 147 landslides. Floods were reported in 17 areas of the city, and at least 21 buildings have collapsed. Flooding affected some of the city's hospitals and caused schools to close.

© Manu Dias/ GOVBA
Landslides after heavy rain in Bairro do Lobato, Salvador, Brazil, April 2015.

    

© Manu Dias/ GOVBA
Landslides after heavy rain in Bairro do Lobato, Salvador, Brazil, April 2015.

    

Rainfall Figures

Local officials say that 200 mm of rain has fallen in Salvador over the last few days - over half the total average rainfall for the month of April.

WMO figures say that 45 mm of rain fell between 26 and 27 April, and a further 142 mm between 27 and 28 April.