SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The demise toll from rains in Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul rose to 56, native authorities mentioned on Saturday morning, whereas dozens nonetheless haven’t been accounted for.
Rio Grande do Sul’s civil protection authority mentioned 67 folks had been nonetheless lacking and practically 25,000 had been displaced as storms have affected greater than half of the 497 cities within the state, which borders Uruguay and Argentina.
Floods destroyed roads and bridges in a number of areas of the state. The storm additionally triggered landslides and the partial collapse of a dam at a small hydroelectric energy plant. A second dam within the metropolis of Bento Goncalves can also be vulnerable to collapsing, authorities mentioned.
In Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, the Guaiba river broke its banks, flooding streets.
Porto Alegre’s worldwide airport has suspended all flights for an indefinite interval.
State Governor Eduardo Leite advised reporters on Friday night that the demise toll might nonetheless rise.
Extra rains might hit the northern areas of the state on Saturday, in line with Brazil’s Nationwide Institute of Meteorology, and authorities urged folks residing in areas in danger to hunt shelter elsewhere.
