The death toll from heavy rains that have flooded Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to at least 66, according to local officials.
The number of people still missing has risen to 101, with more than 80,000 people displaced, the state’s civil protection agency said on Sunday.
It was investigating whether a further six deaths were linked to the storms, it added. Recent storms have devastated nearly two-thirds of the more than 500 towns and cities in the state, which borders Uruguay and Argentina.
Flooding has destroyed roads and bridges in several places. The rains also caused landslides and the partial collapse of a dam at a small hydroelectric plant. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is due to visit Rio Grande do Sul. The rain tapered off on Saturday night but was forecast to continue for the next 24-36 hours, with authorities warning of landslides.
Authorities rushed to evacuate waterlogged neighbourhoods, while rescue teams used all-terrain vehicles and even jet skis to wade through waist-deep water in search of the stranded.
The governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, said his state, generally one of Brazil’s most prosperous, would need a “Marshall Plan” of major investment to rebuild after the disaster.
Long queues formed as people tried to board buses in various locations, despite the fact that bus services to and from the city centre had been cancelled.
All flights at Porto Alegre International Airport have been grounded for an unknown period of time.
Also Read: A Dozen People Killed by Floods and Landslides in Brazil
