The state of Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil, is facing one of the most significant weather tragedies in its history, with heavy rains wreaking havoc in several cities. The number of confirmed deaths has reached 29, and 60 people are missing. Faced with this catastrophic situation, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers' Party) announced the release of more funds to help the population and the municipalities affected.
In the face of this grim situation, President Lula has stated that the federal government will spare no effort in providing the necessary resources to restore the damage inflicted by the rains in Rio Grande do Sul.
The governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, stressed that the priority now is to rescue the isolated populations. He also mentioned that this is likely to be the worst climate tragedy in the city's history and that the number of fatalities is expected to rise.
The situation is critical, with more than 328,000 points without electricity in the state and 541,500 people without a water supply. 494 schools are affected across the state, damaged, serving as shelters, or having transportation or access problems.
The total number of people in shelters is 4,645, and another 10,242 are homeless. The number of municipalities affected has reached 154. The governor asked people to take the recommendations to evacuate affected areas seriously.
Edited by: Lucas Estanislau
