An extratropical storm in southern Brazil caused floods in several cities, killing at least 27 people and leaving more than 1,600 homeless, local authorities said today.
More than 60 cities have been battered by the storm since Monday night, and Rio Grande do Sul Gov. Eduardo Leite said the death toll was the state’s highest due to a climate event.
Rescue efforts expanded farther west today with helicopters headed to the Rio Pardo Valley. Search and rescue teams had been focusing around the Taquari Valley, about 150 kilometers (31 miles) northwest of the state capital Porto Alegre, where most of the victims and damage were recorded.
Many of the victims died from electrical shock, or were trapped in vehicles, online news site G1 reported.
Source: Oman News Agency