RIO DE JANERIRO: As a cyclone has slammed southern Brazil, at least 21 people have died and hundreds more have been displaced due to floods in numerous cities, Al Jazeera reported.
As the floodwaters recede, additional bodies are being discovered, according to authorities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. According to Governor Eduardo Leite, the storm had an impact on 60 cities.
The hurricane that hit Brazil on Tuesday is the most recent in a run of extreme weather incidents, highlighting the dangers posed by storms that are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of climate change.
A cyclone in southern Brazil in June forced thousands of residents to be displaced and killed 13 people. In the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, severe rainfall in February caused landslides and flooding that resulted in at least 65 fatalities, as reported by Al Jazeera.
According to Governor Leite, the flooding on Monday caused the most fatal climate-related incidents in the history of the state. He said that 15 of the recorded fatalities happened in Mucum.
Social media videos showed the community being overwhelmed by the rising water.
“There are still people missing. The death toll might climb higher,” Mayor Mateus Trojan told Radio Gaucha, adding, “The town of Mucum as we knew it no longer exists,” Al Jazeera reported.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in a social media post, “I would like to express my solidarity with the population of Rio Grande do Sul, which is experiencing the heavy rains that have already caused the death of at least four people.”
“The head of civil defence goes to the state to help remedy the problems caused by heavy rains. We will do everything to help the Gaucha population through this moment,” the post added. (ANI)