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Sao Paulo, Dec 27 (Prensa Latina) President Dilma Rousseff today urged joint efforts by the federal government and state authorities to save lives in the southeast, hit hard by heavy rains and floods.

After flying over the area, Rousseff was impressed by the magnitude of the disaster caused by the overflow of the Doce River and landslides.

"I see a great alliance among us and a spirit of cooperation which must prevail in these hours. At these times we forget our political differences, or that we are from different parties", she said referring to the governor of Minas, Antonio Anastasia, of the opposition Social Democracy Party (PSDB).

Rousseff spoke out for acting as a single body to save lives, noting that both she and Anastasia were elected by the people.

She pointed out that more than 10,000 people left homeless by the disaster would receive urgent assistance and reiterated that the priority was to prevent further deaths.

"We cannot prevent natural disasters, like rain, but we are convinced of the need to work to prevent new disasters," she said in a meeting with state and municipal authorities and several government ministers.