A total of 44 people were killed and 46 others missing after an extratropical cyclone hit southern Brazil last week, said the Civil Defense agency on Sunday.
The cyclone unleashed torrential rains, floods, winds of more than 110 kph and landslides starting Monday across some 60 towns in Rio Grande do Sul state bordering on Argentina and Uruguay, and in some areas of the neighboring state of Santa Catarina.
All but one of the deaths occurred in Rio Grande do Sul, where 224 people were injured and over 14,000 others were evacuated, the agency said.
The worst-hit towns were Mucum with a death toll of 16, and Roca Sales with 10 deaths.
Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin visited the region Sunday after announcing Friday the government’s plan to compensate each person impacted by the cyclone with about 160 U.S. dollars.
Speaking from India, where he attended the Group of 20 summit, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva linked the extreme weather event to the environmental agenda needed to tackle the consequences of climate change.
