Death toll soars and thousands flee as flooding hits Brazil

Flood waters surround the Gremio Arena after heavy rain in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Photo: Getty

Renan Mattos and Amanda Perobelli

The death toll from heavy rains that have caused flooding in Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to at least 75, local authorities said yesterday, with tens of thousands of people displaced.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in Rio Grande do Sul, along with most members of his cabinet, to discuss rescue and reconstruction works with local authorities.