Published 2024-05-09 22.37
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Drone images show the widespread devastation after the torrential rains that hit Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil last week.
Now the region’s governor states that it will cost at least 40 billion Swedish kronor to re-equip after the disaster.
The death toll is rising after the heavy downpours and subsequent floods and landslides that hit the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil last week.
Roads have turned into muddy rivers and more than 230,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, CNN reports. At least 107 people have died, 374 are injured and 136 are missing, according to Brazilian authorities latest figures.
Horse stuck on roof – surrounded by water
Parts of the region are isolated by the bodies of water, and rescuers have had difficulty reaching several of the most vulnerable locations.
Dramatic drone footage from Reuters shows the devastation. In one video, a horse can be seen stuck on a roof.
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full screen A highway has been flooded in the city of Porto Alegre in southern Brazil. Photo: Carlos Macedo/AP
Other images show how the football pitch at the Gremio stadium, which holds 55,000 people, has completely disappeared under water. The runways at the airport in the region’s capital are also completely flooded.
Will cost 40 billion to equip
The governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, said in a statement on Thursday that the death toll is likely to rise due to the state of emergency.
He also said that at least 19 billion Brazilian reals (equivalent to approximately 40 billion Swedish kronor) will be needed to equip the affected areas after the disaster.