Death toll due to heavy rains in Brazil rises to 57, 67 people still missing

The death toll rose to 57 after heavy rains in Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Local officials gave this information on Saturday.

The civil protection authority of Rio Grande do Sul, a state bordering Uruguay and Argentina, said 67 people were still missing. More than 32 thousand people have been displaced. The storm affected two-thirds of the state’s 497 cities. Flooding destroyed roads and bridges in many areas. A landslide partially damaged a dam at a small hydroelectric power plant. A second dam in the town of Bento Gonsalves is also at risk of collapse, officials said.

Water rose in Lake Guaiba in Rio Grande do Sul’s capital Porto Alegre, flooding streets. Porto Alegre’s international airport has suspended all flights indefinitely. According to the state meteorological department, there is a possibility of rain in the northern and northeastern regions of Rio Grande do Sul in the next thirty-six hours. However, the amount of rainfall is declining.