The toll from the torrential rains which are sowing chaos IN the south of Brazil increased further this Friday, with around thirty dead and more than 70 missing.
Six hundred soldiers were sent as reinforcements.
President Lula also made the trip.
Follow the full coverage
WEEKENDS 8 p.m.
The state of Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil, has experienced an episode of historic flooding for the region in recent days. As a result, spectacular rescues are repeated, like the couple seen in the video at the top of this article, trapped on the roof of a house which could give way at any moment, and who are airlifted out at the last minute by the emergency services.
150 localities affected
Faced with these torrential rains, the roads and bridges did not resist. The firefighters therefore had to improvise a zip line to rescue isolated residents. “I left with just the clothes I had on”, says a resident. Torrents of mud destroyed everything in their path. In all, more than 150 localities are affected and the water level continues to rise alarmingly.
Ten thousand people have already left their homes, sometimes on their own or with the help of fishermen. “It’s very dangerous. There are a lot of currents. I brought my six-meter boat to evacuate people”, testifies Guilverto Luiz. They leave their homes, but also their livestock behind, without knowing if they will survive. Meanwhile, nearly 5,000 people are already being cared for in accommodation centers. “We just arrived with nothing. We lost everything”confides Silvia Rodrigues Lima, a resident.
-
Read also
IN PICTURES – “Everything is underwater and it will get even worse”: the south of Brazil devastated by floods
President Lula went there, promising reinforcements of helicopters, boats and 600 soldiers. “Because first and foremost, we must save lives,” did he declare. Hundreds of thousands of people are deprived of water, electricity and all means of communication.
