Disasters & Accidents

At least 11 dead, 15 missing due to passage of cyclone in southern Brazil

Sao Paulo, June 17 (EFE).- At least 11 people died and another 15 remain missing after an extratropical cyclone caused serious havoc in southern Brazil over the last few days, official sources said Saturday.

Some 3,000 people have had to be evacuated from their homes in about 40 municipalities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, where most of the damage has been reported, according to Civil Defense.

The passage of the cyclone along the coast of this border region with Argentina and Uruguay has left a trail of destruction, causing landslides, floods, power outages in thousands of homes and damaging several bridges, which has been hindering the work of rescue teams.

State Governor Eduardo Leite told the media that at the moment they were prioritizing the rescue of those trapped in flooded areas and finding those missing.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has promised a “rapid response” in the affected areas and “all the support” to those hit by the cyclone. EFE

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