Flash flooding on Feb. 24 breached a funeral home in Ubá, Brazil, washing away dozens of coffins and producing viral footage of caskets and debris swept through muddy streets. Authorities say the disaster has killed at least 54 people, with 14 still missing and roughly 440 made homeless. President Lula declared a state of calamity in Juiz de Fora and mobilized health and civil-defense resources while mobile medical teams and shelters are being deployed. Rescue and recovery operations are ongoing amid record rainfall.
Dozens Of Coffins Swept Away As Flash Floods In Southeast Brazil Push Death Toll To 54
A car drives on a flooded street during heavy rain in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, on Feb. 25, 2026Credit: Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP via Getty
Dozens of coffins were swept through the streets of Ubá, Brazil, after flash flooding breached a local funeral home on Feb. 24, producing viral footage of caskets, vehicles and debris carried by fast-moving, muddy water.
Bystander video circulating online shows several caskets tumbling and floating along streets clogged with water, narrowly missing utility poles and traffic lights as witnesses cried out in disbelief. Additional clips show vehicles and other debris swept through the city and several buildings collapsing under the force of the deluge.
A car is stuck in a store after heavy rainfall in southeastern Brazil on Feb. 24, 2026Credit: Jose Carlos/picture alliance via Getty
Casualties and Impact
Authorities say the floods and related landslides across Southeast Brazil have killed at least 54 people, with about 14 people reported missing as of Feb. 26. Officials reported at least seven fatalities in Ubá and at least 18 deaths from a massive landslide in a hillside neighborhood of Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais. Roughly 440 people have been left homeless by the disaster.
Government Response
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared a state of calamity in Juiz de Fora and expressed condolences to victims’ families. He said the National Health System (SUS) and the National Civil Defense were operating on high alert to support rescue and relief efforts.
Aerial view showing streets in the commercial district of Ubá, Brazil on Feb. 25, 2026Credit: Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP via Getty
“In the coming hours and days, we will remain on standby to act with the speed and force that the moment demands,” Lula da Silva said, adding that priorities include humanitarian assistance, restoring basic services, supporting displaced people and helping reconstruction.
Minister of Health Adriano Massuda confirmed that specialized mobile medical teams and other resources would be deployed to affected areas, and local authorities have opened temporary shelters while calling for donations of water, food, clothing and hygiene supplies.
Context
Officials described the rainfall as "record" for the region. The recent disaster follows other deadly flooding events in Brazil in recent years, including unprecedented floods in the country's south in early 2024 that claimed more than 200 lives and the 2022 Petrópolis tragedy that killed 241 people.
Rescue teams continue searching for missing people amid hazardous conditions. Local and federal authorities are coordinating relief efforts and urging residents to heed safety warnings while emergency operations continue.
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