Reports: Number of missing in Madeira landslides rises to 29

Reports: Madeira flood missing rises to 29

LISBON, Portugal — Reports say authorities in Madeira have increased to 29 the number of people reported missing in the Portuguese island’s deadly landslides last weekend.

The national news agency Lusa reports Thursday that the island’s head of tourism and transport says the figure is based on new information collated by emergency services.

Lusa reports Estudante saying the death toll remains at 42.

The number of reported missing has fluctuated since Saturday’s storms which sent boulders, snapped trees and sludge crashing into coastal communities. On Wednesday, 16 people were said to be unaccounted for.

Officials say the discrepancies are due to difficult communications on the island.