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Brazil floods: 29 people killed and thousands more displaced

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva travelled to the state on Thursday to meet with local authorities and express his solidarity as a state of calamity was declared in Rio Grande do Sul, where more than 10,000 people have been displaced.

By Claire Gilbody Dickerson, news reporter

Friday 3 May 2024 15:21, UK

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Rescue operations after Brazil flooding
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At least 29 people have been killed in floods in Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, in what has been described as "the most critical flooding recorded in history" by local authorities.

The storms, which have caused the greatest devastation in the state in recent years, also left 60 people missing and 10,242 displaced in 154 cities, according to Rio Grande do Sul's civil defence.

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Crews continued to rescue residents in Brazil's flood-hit state of Rio Grande do Sul.

"It's not just another critical case; it's the most critical that the state will probably have recorded in its history," state governor Eduardo Leite said in a live broadcast on social media, adding that the situation is worse than last year's rains in the state.

A drone view shows houses in the flooded area next to the Taquari River during heavy rains in the city of Encantado in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Pic: Reuters
Image: A drone view shows houses in the flooded area next to the Taquari River Pic: Reuters
People walk on a roof in a flooded area next to the Taquari River during heavy rains in Encantado, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, May 2, 2024. REUTERS/Diego Vara
Image: People walk on a roof in a flooded area next to the Taquari River Pic: ReutersS/Diego Vara
A drone view shows houses in the flooded area next to the Taquari River during heavy rains in the city of Encantado in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Pic: Reuters
Image: A drone view shows houses in the flooded area next to the Taquari River Pic: Reuters

More than 300,000 people have also been left without electricity after a dam at a small hydroelectric power plant burst on Thursday, the state's main utilities company said.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva travelled to the state on Thursday to meet with local authorities and express his solidarity.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the First Lady Janja Lula da Silva arrive at the Santa Maria Air Base to monitor the areas affected by the heavy rains. Pic: AP
Image: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the first lady Janja Lula da Silva arrive at the Santa Maria Air Base to monitor the areas affected by the heavy rains. Pic: AP

"Everything that is within reach of our government will be done to attend to the needs of the people who are being affected by these rains," he wrote on X.

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Operators reported electricity and water cuts across the state, and officials detailed numerous incidents of flooded roads, landslides and collapsed bridges as water levels of rivers and streams rose sharply.

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Rainfall reached six inches in some parts of the region in 24 hours, according to Brazil's National Institute of Meteorology, known by the Portuguese acronym INMET, on Tuesday.

Governor Leite said on Wednesday the floods would be "the worst climate disaster" the state has ever seen.

People walk in a flooded area next to the Taquari River during heavy rains in Encantado, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, May 2, 2024. REUTERS/Diego Vara
Image: People walk in a flooded area next to the Taquari River. Pic: Reuters/Diego Vara
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South America is periodically affected by a climate phenomenon known as El Nino, but this year the impacts of it have been particularly dramatic, with a historic drought in the Amazon.

Scientists say extreme weather is happening more frequently due to human-caused climate change.

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