The death toll from the Brazilian floods has risen to 83 dead and dozens missing

CNN
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The death toll from a series of Catastrophic floods The death toll in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to at least 83, the state’s civil defense unit said Monday.

Authorities are also investigating four other deaths to determine if they are storm-related.

Another 276 people were reportedly injured and at least 111 people were missing, while at least 121,000 people were displaced, according to the Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul.

The disaster affected more than 850,000 people in 345 municipalities, destroying homes, roads and bridges.

CNN spoke with local residents and evacuees who reported seeing bodies still in the floodwaters, likely not yet counted in the death toll.

Colonel Jose Carlos Salit, subcommander of military firefighters in Rio Grande do Sul, told CNN on Sunday that nearly 1,000 firefighters were working on rescue missions.

“When the rain stops, they launch short operations to rescue as many people as possible. Yesterday (Saturday) we were able to intensify operations,” Salit said.

Pictures show the muddy brown water rising to the roofs of houses in some areas, while rescue teams went out with inflatable rafts to transport people and pets on board.

The state of Rio Grande do Sul has been increasingly exposed to severe weather phenomena in recent years, and at least 54 people died in the state in September after it was hit by a sub-tropical cyclone.

The climate crisis, caused primarily by humans burning fossil fuels, is increasing extreme weather conditions around the world, leading to numerous events More intense And more frequent.