storm
Many dead in floods in Brazil
Members of a rescue team evacuating people affected by flooding. photo
© Claudia Martini/XinHua/dpa
The number of flood deaths in Brazil is rising. The Air Force also uses drones to locate people.
During the severe flooding in the south At least 78 people have died in Brazil so far. In addition, after days of rain, there are 175 injured and more than 100 missing, the South American country’s civil defense said. The flood affected around 850,000 residents in 340 towns in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. A state of emergency has been declared in most of them.
In the regional capital Porto Alegre, the Guaíba, a confluence of several rivers, reached its highest water level since 1941 at 5.28 meters, local media reported. In just ten days, more rain fell in the state that borders Argentina and Uruguay than in three months. This is also a consequence of climate change, meteorologists were quoted as saying.
Many residents did not dare to leave their homes for fear of break-ins and looting. “The past few days have been very scary. I can’t sleep all night. Strange figures are walking around in front of the house,” a 27-year-old resident told the UOL portal. The air force also uses drones to find people who have been cut off from the outside world, the Brazilian news site “G1” reported.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva traveled to the affected area for the second time on Sunday. He spoke of one of the largest floods in the country’s history and promised further help.