Flash Flood Sweeps Away Vehicle In Minas Gerais, Two Dead As River Overflows Suddenly

Belo Horizonte, Brazil— Two people were killed Saturday afternoon when a flash flood hit a rural road in northern Minas Gerais and swept their pickup truck into a swollen river, dragging the vehicle 400 meters downstream before it lodged against rocks and submerged. The incident happened at 2:10 p.m.

The victims, a father and daughter returning from market in the municipality of Januária, were crossing a low-water bridge over the Pardo River when water rose suddenly. Locals said rain had fallen upstream for three hours. No warning was issued. The river, normally ankle-deep at that crossing, rose two meters in 20 minutes. Witnesses saw the truck attempt to cross. The current caught it mid-bridge.

“It was fast. The water came brown, full of logs,” said a farmer who tried to throw a rope. “The truck tilted, then flipped. We shouted to jump. They couldn’t open doors.” He ran downstream but lost sight of the vehicle in the churning water.

Firefighters from Januária arrived 50 minutes later. The truck was upside down, windows shattered, filled with mud. The father, 56, was found still belted inside. The daughter, 22, was found 100 meters further, trapped under branches. Civil Defense said both died from drowning and trauma. No other vehicles were caught, though two motorbikes were abandoned on the bank.

Low-water crossings kill every rainy season in Minas. The state has 1,200 such crossings without bridges. Municipalities lack funds to build proper structures. A civil engineer in Montes Claros said the Januária crossing has been flagged since 2021. “We sent a report. We said it needs a bridge. Cost was 800,000 reais. No budget was allocated,” he said.

Heavy rain has hit Minas for three days. The state emergency office reports 12 municipalities under alert, three with flooded homes. In Januária, 30 families were evacuated Saturday morning. The river gauge was broken.

The mayor declared a state of emergency in the rural zone. He asked for state aid to build a bridge. The same request was made last year.

By evening, the truck was pulled from the river by a tractor. The road remains closed.

The bodies were taken to the IML in Januária. The river is still high.