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The death toll has mounted to 83 after a series of catastrophic floods in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul hit the nation, reported CNN, citing the state's civil defence unit.
Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul stated that 276 people are reportedly injured and at least 111 people are missing. Moreover, at least 121,000 people have been displaced, according to Sul. Meanwhile, authorities are also investigating another four deaths to determine if they were related to the storms, CNN reported. The disaster has affected over 850,000 people in 345 municipalities, destroying homes, roads and bridges. Some local residents and evacuees reported seeing dead bodies still in the flood water, likely not yet counted in the death toll. Col. Jose Carlos Sallet, subcommander of Rio Grande do Sul Military Firefighters, said that approximately 1,000 firefighters are working on rescue missions, reported CNN. "When the rain stops, they have been doing short operations to save as many people as possible. Yesterday (Saturday) were we able to intensify operations," Sallet said. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also visited Rio Grande do Sul for a second time on Sunday, accompanied by Defence Minister Jose Mucio, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad and Environment Minister Marina Silva, among others, according to Al Jazeera. The leader and his team surveyed the flooded streets of the state capital, Porto Alegre, from a helicopter. Moreover, some of the images showed muddy brown waters rising as high as rooftops in some areas, while rescue teams were out with inflatable rafts, taking people and pets on board. Governor Eduardo Leite declared a state of emergency as the region grapples with the aftermath of the catastrophic weather event. "We are dealing with the worst disaster in [our] history," Governor Leite lamented, acknowledging the grim reality that the death toll is expected to rise further as rescue efforts continue. In recent years, Rio Grande do Sul has been increasingly hit by extreme weather events and at least 54 people died in the state in September after it endured a sub-tropical cyclone, according to CNN. The climate crisis, caused primarily by humans burning fossil fuels, is supercharging extreme weather globally, making many events more intense and more frequent. (ANI)
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