The storm has wreaked havoc in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The storm has claimed five more lives in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 90 so far. This information has been given by the Civil Defense Agency of the state. Dozens of people are still trapped in this devastating flood. Efforts are being made by rescue workers to evacuate these people.
According to the news agency Xinhua report, 361 people have been injured in the state bordering Uruguay and Argentina due to continuous heavy rains, floods and landslides, while 132 people are also reported missing. More than 200,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes in the last eight days due to record rainfall.
According to the state’s civil protection agency, 388 cities out of 497 cities in the state, including the capital Porto Alegre, have been affected by this disaster. This disaster has affected more than 1.4 million people.
More than 85 percent of the city’s total population does not have access to potable water. Due to which the authorities have cut the supply.
Classes in schools have been suspended due to the dire situation of floods in Brazil. 790 schools have been affected by the floods across the state, while 388 schools have been damaged and people are being sheltered in another 52 schools.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited the disaster sites and pledged federal aid to those affected.