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- At least 29 people have now died in floods after days of rain in southern Brazil.
- According to civil protection, 60 people were missing and more than 4,600 lost their homes.
- Over 100 communities were affected by the floods.
“Unfortunately, we are witnessing a historic catastrophe,” said the governor of the affected state of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, at a meeting with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at an air base. “The material damage is enormous, but our main focus at the moment is on rescue.”
Leite had urgently called on residents of several regions to seek safety. The capital of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, was also affected – but especially the Taquari Valley, which experienced large amounts of immigration from Germany in the 19th century. The region was already affected by storms and floods last September, killing at least 42 people. Leite warned that the situation was even worse this time.
The rain began on Monday and caused widespread flooding and landslides. Houses and bridges were damaged and numerous roads became impassable. A dam partially burst on Thursday. According to the Defense Ministry, the military was deployed with five helicopters, twelve boats and around 600 troops. Around 100 people were rescued.
SRF 4News, May 3, 2024, 4 a.m.; sda/stal;
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