29 killed in southern Brazil’s worst storms

The deadliest storms, according to Governor Eduardo Leite, struck Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, resulting in four days of torrential rains, floods, and mudslides that killed 29 people and left 60 more missing. 

Leite, a leading producer of livestock and agriculture, described the storms as the worst natural disaster in the history of the state, adding, “Unfortunately, we know that these numbers will rise.” 

On Thursday, Leite and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met in Santa Maria, one of the hardest-hit cities in the state. 

Lula reportedly offered federal cash and assistance to deal with the disaster in the state that borders Argentina and Uruguay. 

“There will be no shortage of help from the federal government to take care of health, no shortage of money to take care of transportation and food, everything that is within reach.

“Whether through ministers, civil society, or our military, we’ll dedicate round-the-clock effort to satisfy the basic needs of the people stranded by the rains,” said the president. 

The governor issued an order to people to seek higher ground and avoid the flood-prone zones that the civil defence department had identified because further rain was predicted.

He claims that while 4,400 residents have been evacuated, many more are still in their flooded houses, awaiting rescue.

Natural calamities have impacted 154 cities, according to a civil defence bulletin.

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