Brazil floods death toll rises to 78, dozens remain missing
CNN
The death toll from a series of catastrophic floods in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to 78, according to an announcement from the state’s Civil Defense Unit on Sunday.
The death toll from a series of catastrophic floods in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to 78, according to an announcement from the state’s Civil Defense Unit on Sunday. A further 175 people are reportedly injured and at least 105 people are missing. The flooding has affected 844,673 people across 341 municipalities and 115,844 people have been displaced. CNN spoke to local residents and evacuees who reported seeing dead bodies still in the flood water, likely not yet counted in the death toll. Col. José Carlos Sallet, subcommander of Rio Grande do Sul Military Firefighters, told CNN on Sunday that approximately 1,000 firefighters are working on rescue missions. “When the rain stops, they have been doing short operations to save as many people as possible. Yesterday (Saturday) were we able to intensify operations,” Sallet said. Images show muddy brown waters rising as high as rooftops in some areas, while rescue teams were out with inflatable rafts, taking people and pets on board.
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