Thousands were left homeless after mud swept away their houses in the cities of Juiz de Fora and Uba this week, leaving desperate residents seeking loved ones under piles of sludge and debris.

Firefighters said Saturday that they were still searching for three missing people, while the police updated the death toll to 70, including 13 children.

Lula flew over the disaster area before landing and meeting grief-stricken residents and officials.

He said in an Instagram post that he "was deeply moved by the pain and damage caused by the heavy rains that hit the region."

"The Brazilian government will do everything possible to help the population rebuild their lives. We will not leave anyone alone in this fight."

Brazil's meteorological agency INMET told AFP that parts of the southeast were experiencing the rainiest February in years.

Rainfall in Juiz de Fora -- a hilly city of half a million people -- has already exceeded 760 mm (30 inches) in February, more than triple its usual monthly average.

The tragedy is the latest in a series of extreme weather disasters in Brazil, from floods to fires and drought, many of which scientists have linked to the effects of global warming.

Brazilian meteorologist Carlos Nobre attributed the unusually heavy downpours to a passing cold front system over the "very warm" Atlantic Ocean.

In 2024, more than 200 people died and two million were impacted by unprecedented flooding in southern Brazil, one of the worst natural disasters in its history.

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