SAO PAULO: The death toll from heavy rains in Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul rose to 29, local authorities said on Thursday evening, as the state government declared a state of public calamity to handle the dramatic situation.

The storms, which have caused the greatest devastation in the state in recent years, also left 60 people missing and 10,242 displaced in 154 cities, according to Rio Grande do Sul’s civil defence.

More than 300,000 people have also been left without electricity after a dam at a small hydroelectric power plant burst on Thursday, the state’s main utilities company said.

Brazil has faced a recent spate of natural disasters. More than 50 people were killed in Sao Paulo state last year after massive downpours caused landslides and flooding.

Source: Emirates News Agency