Four thousand evacuated as dike breaks in Brazil

Jan 5, 2012, 18:50 GMT

Sao Paulo - About 4,000 residents of Campos de Goytacazes, in the south-eastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, had to be evacuated Thursday when a dike broke in the wake of heavy rain.

The dike was the same that had broken once before in 2008.

Overall, tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in Brazil's south-east region since the beginning of this year, for fear of floods and mudslides. Some 10,000 people have been evacuated in Minas Gerais and a further 20,000 in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

In Minas Gerais, six people have been killed in incidents linked to heavy rain, while two others have died in the neighbouring state of Rio.

In Minas Gerais - the second-largest Brazilian state by population, after Sao Paulo- overflowing rivers have flooded large areas. More than 70 towns are officially in a state of emergency, while floods and mudslides have blocked many roads.

Video photos from the air reminds many of last year's disaster, when about 900 people died in floods and mudslides in the mountainous area in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Then, as now, some towns were isolated from the outside world and could only be reached by air.

January is the traditional month for summer holidays in Brazil. However, several Brazilian ministers cancelled their vacation plans to take care of the weather-induced crisis.