Nearly 60 Dead, Over 70 Missing as Floods Devastate Southern Brazil

Sao Paulo: Severe flooding wreaked havoc in Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul this week, claiming the lives of at least 55 individuals, with dozens still unaccounted for, according to local authorities.

The civil defence authority reported that 74 people remain missing, while over 69,000 have been displaced as storms lashed nearly two-thirds of the state’s 497 cities. Infrastructure, including roads and bridges, was devastated, with landslides and the partial collapse of a dam at a hydroelectric power plant adding to the crisis. Another dam in Bento Goncalves is also under threat of collapsing.

Porto Alegre, the state capital, faced inundation as the Guaiba lake overflowed, flooding streets and suspending all flights at the international airport. State Governor Eduardo Leite called for a comprehensive recovery effort akin to a “Marshall Plan” following World War Two to address the extensive damage.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, having visited the affected areas on Thursday, will return on Sunday to oversee rescue efforts, according to his communication chief Paulo Pimenta. Lula reiterated his government’s commitment to supporting the region in collaboration with local authorities.

Although rainfall is expected to decrease in the northern and northeastern regions of the state today, river water levels are expected to remain high for some time, warned Governor Leite. Local scientists attribute the intensification of weather patterns to climate change, as Rio Grande do Sul grapples with the convergence of tropical and polar atmospheres.