At Least 60 People Now Reported Dead in Brazil Floods, With More than 100 Still Missing

Rio de Janeiro: Massive floods in Brazil’s sourn Rio Grande do Sul state killed at least 60 people and anor 101 were reported missing, according to Sunday's toll from local authorities. At least 155 people were injured, while damage from rains forced more than 80,000 people from ir homes. Approximately 15,000 took refuge in schools, gymnasiums and or temporary shelters.

floods left a wake of devastation, including landslides, washed-out ros and collapsed bridges across state. Operators reported electricity and communications cuts. More than 800,000 people are without a water supply, according to civil defense agency, which cited figures from water company Corsan.

On Saturday evening, residents in town of Canoas stood up to ir shoulders in muddy water and formed a human chain to pull boats carrying people to safety, according to video footage shared by local UOL news network.

Guaiba river reached a record level of 5.33 metres (17.5 feet) on Sunday morning at 08:00 local time, surpassing levels seen during a historic 1941 deluge, when river reached 4.76 metres.

“I repeat and insist: devastation to which we are being subjected is unprecedented,” State Governor Eduardo Leite said on Sunday morning. He h previously said that state will need a “kind of ‘Marshall Plan’ to be rebuilt.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived in Rio Grande do Sul on Sunday, accompanied by Defence Minister José Múcio, Finance Minister Fernando Hd and Environment Minister Marina Silva, among ors.

During Sunday mass at Vatican, Pope Francis said he was praying for state’s population. “May Lord welcome de and comfort ir families and those who h to abandon ir homes,” he said.

downpour started Monday and was expected to last through to Sunday. In some areas, such as valleys, mountain slopes and cities, more than 300 millimetres (11.8 inches) of rain fell in less than a week, according to Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology, known by Portuguese acronym INMET, on Thursday.

heavy rains were fourth such environmental disaster in a year, following floods in July, September and November 2023 that killed 75 people in total.

Wear across South America is affected by climate phenomenon El Niño, a periodic, naturally occurring event that warms surface waters in Equatorial Pacific region. In Brazil, El Niño has historically caused droughts in north and intense rainfall in south.

This year, impacts of El Niño have been particularly dramatic, with a historic drought in Amazon. Scientists say extreme wear is happening more frequently due to human-caused climate change.