Death toll rises to 78 in Brazil as heavy rains continue

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) - Heavy rains and floods in southern Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sol state have left 78 people dead and 105 missing, the local civil defense authority said Sunday

The latest civil defense bulletin reported that 844,673 people have been affected throughout most of the state. Reportedly, 134,331 people had to abandon their homes, 115,844 were left homeless and another 18,487 remained in shelters.

Military, police and security forces have rescued up to 20,000 people. Some 900 members of the army, navy, air force and "partner agencies" are taking part with at least 30 helicopters, four airplanes, 866 vehicles and 182 boats as well as 85 engineering crews.

On Sunday, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva traveled to Rio Grande do Sol for the second time since the floods began, promising to reconstruct the roads destroyed by the floods.

"There will be no bureaucratic impediment for us to recover the greatness of this state," he said at a press conference after flying over it.

"In Porto Alegre with (state) Governor Eduardo Leite, all branches and levels of government are working together in this time of emergency. We will continue working together for the recovery of the regions affected by the heavy rains," Lula wrote on X.

The president acknowledged that the state is going through a hard period with its finances and promised resources from the federal government through the Ministry of Transportation to recover state highways.