The death toll from heavy rains causing flooding in Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has climbed to 78, local authorities reported Sunday, with over 115,000 people displaced, as reported by Reuters.
Volunteers employing boats, jet skis, and even swimming have been aiding ongoing rescue operations. In Porto Alegre, Fabiano Saldanha and three friends have used jet skis to rescue around 50 people from flooded areas since Friday.
The death toll could rise further as 105 people were reported missing on Sunday, up from about 70 the previous day, according to state civil defense authorities. Flooding has affected more than two-thirds of the state’s nearly 500 cities, displacing over 115,000 people.
Floods have damaged roads, bridges, triggered landslides, and caused a partial dam collapse at a small hydroelectric power plant. Over 400,000 people were without power Sunday evening, while almost a third of the state’s population lacked water.
In Porto Alegre, the Guaiba lake surpassed its highest recorded water level, leading to flight suspensions at the international airport since Friday.
