Deadly floods in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul leave trail of destruction
More than 88,000 people have been forced from their homes in Rio Grande do Sul state while many more are waiting to be rescued from the rising waters and mudslides that have killed scores of Brazilians.
Floods have destroyed roads and bridges in several areas. / Photo: AFP
The death toll from heavy rains that have inundated Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to at least 75, local authorities said.
The number of people still missing rose to 103 and more than 88,000 had been displaced, according to the state civil defence authority on Sunday.
It was investigating whether another six deaths were related to the storms, it added.
Storms in the past few days have affected about two-thirds of the nearly 500 towns and cities in the state, which borders Uruguay and Argentina.
Floods have destroyed roads and bridges in several areas.
The rains have also triggered landslides and the partial collapse of a dam at a small hydroelectric power plant.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to visit Rio Grande do Sul.
Floods have destroyed roads and bridges in several areas.
- Evacuation efforts underway
The rainfall eased on Saturday night but was expected to continue for the next 24-36 hours, with authorities warning of landslides.
Authorities scrambled to evacuate swamped neighbourhoods as rescue workers used four-wheel-drive vehicles –– and even jet skis ––to manoeuvre through waist-deep water in search of the stranded.
Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite said his state, normally one of Brazil's most prosperous, would need a "Marshall Plan" of heavy investment to rebuild after the catastrophe.
Long lines formed as people tried to board buses in many places, although bus services to and from the city centre were cancelled.
The Porto Alegre International Airport suspended all flights for an undetermined period.
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