"Juiz de Fora residents demanded federal support from President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday as he visited the municipality hardest hit by deadly floods in Minas Gerais. Footage shows locals and volunteers working to clear debris from homes, while members of the military police supervise the area. "I would like to ask for help. I lost 22 members of my family. That is all I want. It is so sad. I no longer want to stay here. I lost my family. Now I am going to bury my mother. I cannot bear it anymore. I was there. I would rather die. I have said it ten times. I would rather die than bury my mother," a resident said through tears. Another local noted that "a case like this had never happened," and urged "the eyes of the presidency, of the people, of society, to be focused on communities like this." "This was a tragedy that had already been announced, there were already signs of leaks, there were already signs of displacement. But civil defence did not act with such strength because it is a neighbourhood far from the centre, a more excluded community," she denounced. The number of deaths from the heavy rains in the state of Minas Gerais, southeast Brazil, rose to 68, including 62 in Juiz de Fora and six in nearby Uba. On Saturday morning, the Brazilian leader visited the municipalities and met with mayors to plan reconstruction work in the areas. On his social media, Lula da Silva promised that his government will continue monitoring the situation together with local teams and "ensure that all necessary support is provided to the affected families." "