The southern region of Brazil is experiencing escalating human casualties due to heavy rainfall. Bring at risk of complete submerging due to overflowing water from a nearby dam, residents of the nearby village have been urgently evacuated. The Brazilian meteorological agency forecasts that the rain will continue until the 3rd of the month.
According to O Globo and g1, on May 2nd (BRT), a concentrated downpour accompanied by strong winds has been battering the southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul since April 29th. Due to the flood, the disaster authorities announced at 7 p.m. on the day of the incident that 29 people had died while 60 were missing. The number of displaced people who had to leave their homes due to landslides and flooding exceeded 80,000.
In the Santa Maria area, a road bridge also collapsed. A video showing the collapse of the bridge structure into the terrifyingly flowing muddy river was posted on social media. Comments included reactions such as, “It’s scary how it’s being washed away like sugar melting in coffee.”
Eduardo Leite, the governor who declared a state of emergency in Rio Grande do Sul, said in a press conference, “This is the biggest disaster we’ve experienced in our state,” and added, “We are having an experience like a wartime situation.”