Thirty-one people killed by strong rains that pounded Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil, on Friday, according to local authorities.
The number of fatalities is certain to increase because many more are still missing.
According to Rio Grande do Sul’s civil defence, about half of the state’s 497 cities were impacted, and more than 70 people were still missing and at least 17,000 displaced.
Streets turned into rivers and bridges and highways were destroyed.
A minor hydroelectric power station experienced landslides and the partial collapse of a dam due to the storm.
Authorities in the city of Bento Goncalves declared that a second dam was also in danger of failing and urged locals to vacate
A second dam in the city of Bento Goncalves is also at risk of collapsing, authorities said, ordering people who live nearby to evacuate.
“It’s not just another critical situation; it’s probably the most critical case the state has ever recorded,” Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite said in a live broadcast on social media on Thursday.
He added that the death toll will likely climb further as authorities have not been able to access certain locations.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva travelled to the state on Thursday to visit affected locations and discuss rescue efforts with the governor.
