Brazil hit by worst floods in more than 80 years, at least 56 dead

At least 56 people were killed due to torrential rains, followed by floods and mudslides in Brazil, forcing thousands of people out of their homes.

According to Al Jazeera, the surge in water levels in the state of Rio Grande do Sul is straining dams and threatening the metropolis of Porto Alegre.

The flooding has surpassed that seen during a historic 1941 deluge. It is the fourth such environmental disaster in a year, following floods in July, September and November 2023 that killed 75 people in total.

On Thursday, a dam at a hydroelectric plant between the cities of Bento Goncalves and Cotipora partially collapsed and entire cities in the Taquari River valley, like Lajeado and Estrela, were completely overtaken by water. In the town of Feliz, 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the state capital, Porto Alegre, a massively swollen river swept away a bridge that connected it with the neighbouring city of Linha Nova.

Operators reported electricity, communications and water cuts across the state. More than 24,000 people had to leave their homes, according to the civil defence agency.

(With PTI inputs)

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