Death toll in Brazil floods rises to 78, more than 115,000 displaced

The death toll after heavy rains which led to floods in southern Brazil rose to at least 78, said local authorities on Sunday (May 5), as they scrambled to rescue people from what is being called the region’s largest-ever climate catastrophe.

Death toll rises to 78

The floods triggered by torrential rain in Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul have killed at least 78 peopleso far.According to local authorities, this number could rise as around 105 people have been reported missing as of Sunday, up from 70 the prior day.

WATCH |Brazil floods: Heavy rains lash Southern state of Rio Grande Do Su

The state civil defence authority also said it is investigating whether another four deaths were related to the storms. More than 115,000 people have reportedly been displaced due to the widespread flooding.

The rains also triggered landslides, leading to the partial collapse of a dam at a small hydroelectric power plant. As of Sunday evening, more than 400,000 people were left without power and nearly a third of the state’s population was without water, according to the local authorities.

In Porto Alegre, the capital of the state, residents reportedly stood on rooftops hoping to be rescued as others navigated the flooded streets in canoes or small boats.

Also Read |Brazil floods: Nearly 70,000 forced from homes, death toll at 57

The Guaiba Lakein the state capitalbreached its banks, hitting the highest water level on record, according to local authorities.

Over 3,000 soldiers, firefighters and other rescuers were trying to reach residents who were trapped in their homes without water or electricity. The army personnel also set up field hospitals for hundreds of patients who had to be evacuated from regular hospitals.

Meanwhile, civilians formed volunteer groups to gather basic supplies like life jackets and water. Some volunteers also used boats and jet skisand even swam to help in ongoing rescue efforts.

‘It is a war scenario’

“It is a war scenario, and will need post-war measures,” said state governor Eduardo Leite, flanked by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Lula arrived in Rio Grande do Sul on Sunday morning with most members of his cabinet to discuss rescue and reconstruction efforts with local authorities.

“Bureaucracy will not stand in our way, stopping us from recovering the state’s greatness,” said the Brazilian president.

Also Read |Hamas official says Cairo truce meeting ends, delegation to leave for Doha

In addition to Porto Alegre, around 341 towns and villages in the state have been hit by the flooding. The international airport in the state capital suspended all flights on Friday, with its runways underwater.

Climate change and El Nino effect

Climatologist Francisco Eliseu Aquino called the situation in Rio Grande do Sul a "disastrous cocktail” of climate change and the El Nino effect.

“Rio Grande do Sul has always been a meeting point between tropical and polar air masses,” Aquino told AFP, adding that these “interactions intensified with climate change” and created “a disastrous cocktail that makes the atmosphere more unstable and encourages storms.”

(With inputs from agencies)