Aerial view of flooded streets at the Sarandi neighborhood in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil on May 5, 2024. (AFP)

Porto Alegre, May 5 (RHC)-- The death toll after heavy rains and strong floods that were recorded in the southern part of Brazil has risen to 76, according to the most recent balance of the Brazilian Civil Defense.

The agency reports more than 70 injured and more than 24,600 evacuated, while roads and communications remain interrupted in the State of Río Grande del Sur, with some 300 towns affected since last Friday.

According to the mayor of Porto Alegre, Sebastiao Melo, the dam that dams the Gravataí River began to overflow once again and the inhabitants of the community must leave the place.

For its part, the Brazilian Government reported, on the social network

Consequently, the Porto Alegre International Airport suspended its operations indefinitely. City authorities are setting up shelters in sports centers and other facilities, where they have evacuated more than 8,000 people.

Torrential rains also affect the State of Santa Catarina, where the death of a citizen was recorded when the current swept away his car in the municipality of Ipira. This meteorological condition, of “very high severity,” is forecast until tomorrow, as reported by the Civil Defense.

In the midst of this context, the Vice Governor of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Gabriel Souza, reported that the access of people to the affected areas makes rescue efforts difficult. After describing the natural phenomenon as “the greatest tragedy in the history of RS,” he referred to the so-called “tragedy tourism.”