Heavy rain causes three more deaths in Olinda.

Sumaia Villela - Correspondent for Agência Brasil

Three more people have died due to landslides caused by heavy rain affecting the metropolitan region of Recife. Two women and a child from the same family were buried inside their home in the Águas Compridas neighborhood, in Olinda: Alexandra de Moraes, 36 years old, Bárbara de Moraes, 23, and João Victor de Moraes, 7.

The rescue operation began at 7 a.m. Another house was hit by the landslide, and there are reports of more people injured, but the Olinda Civil Defense press office has not yet confirmed this due to difficulties contacting the team providing assistance on site.

Earlier, the Fire Department recovered the body of the first victim from the rubble, around 5:30 am. A 4-year-old girl died after, according to Recife's Civil Defense, an extension to a house above the child's residence could not withstand the volume of water and collapsed. The incident occurred in Córrego do Passarinho, on the border between Olinda and the Pernambuco capital.

The first death of the year recorded as a result of the rains occurred on April 17th. A 39-year-old man was buried in a landslide in Alto José Bonifácio, in the northern part of Recife.

Other less serious disruptions were also reported, such as flooding in various parts of the metropolitan area. The numerous traffic jams of the early morning gave way, hours later and after warnings from local media, to a void of both pedestrians and cars. But there are still congested areas.

Many public institutions also ended their activities earlier this Monday, such as the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), which released a statement informing that the suspension, previously announced for the morning period, will be extended throughout the day.

According to the Pernambuco Water Agency (Apac), more than 200 millimeters (mm) of rain fell in Olinda in six hours, and the Recife city hall confirms the same volume in the Pernambuco capital. This total is more than half of what is expected for the entire month of May, which is 358 millimeters.

Shelters for displaced people

The city hall of Olinda recommended that residents of at-risk areas leave the area and report problems by calling 0800 2812112. According to a statement released by the city's Civil Defense, the Maria da Glória School, in the Guadalupe neighborhood, has been organized to receive those displaced by the rains.

According to the agency, all municipal Civil Defense teams are operating in the city's high-risk areas. The highest concentration of incidents is in the neighborhoods of Águas Compridas – where the three people died – and Caixa D'Água. On the section of the seafront that collapsed, on Avenida Ministro Marcos Freire, maintenance teams have isolated the area and are waiting for the tide to recede before beginning repairs.