Brazil: Extratropical cyclone kills at least 27 people, leaves 1,600 homeless

At least 27 people have died because of the extratropical cyclone in several cities in southern Brazil. More than 1,600 people have become homeless, authorities said on Wednesday.

Since Monday night, the storm has struck more than 60 cities. Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite said the death toll was the state's highest due to a climate event.

Leite mentioned 15 deaths occurred in the same house in Mucum, a city of 50,000 residents. He said one of those killed was a woman who was swept away by heavy torrents during a rescue attempt. "The wire broke, and she and a rescuer fell. Unfortunately, the woman did not survive and the rescuer is seriously injured," he stated.

On Wednesday, the rescue efforts expanded with helicopters headed to the Rio Pardo Valley. The search and rescue teams worked more in regions around the Taquari Valley, located 150 kilometres northwest of the state capital, Porto Alegre, which recorded the most victims and damage due to the flood and storm.

More heavy rains will batter the state's central-south region, sparing the worst-hit areas, CNBC reported. The authorities continued flooding warnings for the Jacui Cai and Taquari rivers.

After the storm had passed, TV footage revealed a goat hanging from an electrical line, indicating how high the water rose. According to reports, while many victims died of electrical shock, some were trapped in their vehicles.

Mucum City Hall advised the citizens to store supplies for the next 72 hours.

Leite described the cyclone as "an absolutely out of the ordinary event." The flooding also hit Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria on Tuesday, killing at least seven people, AP reported.

However, it is not the first time an extratropical storm has hit Rio Grande do Sul. In June, a cyclone killed at least 16 people and caused damage in 40 cities, among which many were around Porto Alegre.

(With inputs from agencies)

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