At least 57 people killed, hundreds missing as heavy rain and flooding lashes Brazil
At least 57 people have been killed and a further 373 are missing as heavy rain and flooding hit the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul this week, CNN reports.
At least 74 others have been injured amid the series of catastrophic floods that has affected 281 municipalities, according to the latest figures shared by the civil defense Saturday.
The local government has declared a state of calamity in areas where more than 67,000 people are impacted. Almost 10,000 have been displaced and more than 4,500 are in temporary shelters, the civil defense said.
Authorities are closely monitoring dams that are not designed to handle such a high volume of water but said there is no imminent risk of failure.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with local officials overseeing the relief efforts Thursday.
“We are witnessing a historic disaster, unfortunately,” said the state’s governor, Eduardo Leite. “The material losses are gigantic, but our focus at this moment is rescues. There are still people waiting for help.”
On Saturday morning, the water level in the Guaíba Lake grew five meters due to intense rains, threatening the state’s capital Porto Alegre, authorities said.
