Brazil: At least 21 people killed and 100 more have been displaced due to flood in numerous cities due to torrential rain and winds caused by a cyclone in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul.
Reports from local news sources reveal that in the town of Mucum, a staggering of 85% of the area has been submerged in water. This forced many residents to seek refuge on the rooftops of their homes. The heavy rain, amounting to over 300 millimeters in less than a day, triggered both flooding and landslides, leaving entire communities in distress.
Calling the situation as the state’s worst-ever weather disaster, Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite told reporters on Tuesday that 15 more bodies had been found in Mucum earlier in the day, bringing the death toll to 21.
“There are still people missing,” the BBC quoted Mucum Mayor Mateus Trojan as saying to the local media.
“The death toll might climb higher. The town of Mucum as we knew it no longer exists.”
Rescue workers have been using helicopters to reach areas cut off by flooding.
Meanwhile, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the federal government was ready to help.
In February, at least 40 people were killed in flooding and landslides in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state. while last year some 100 persons died as torrential rain triggered landslides and torrents of mud near the city of Recife.
(Inputs from IANS)