News about Gabriel Souza

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited the country's south on Thursday, where floods and mudslides caused by torrential rains have killed 29 people, with the death toll expected to rise. Authorities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul have declared a state of emergency as rescuers continue to search for more than 60 people reported missing among the ruins of collapsed homes, bridges and roads. Storm damage has affected nearly 150 municipalities in the state, also injuring 36 people and displacing more than 10,000. Part of the structure of the hydroelectric dam located between the town of Cotipora and the city of Bento Goncalves has also collapsed on Thursday, raising the level of water in the Taquari river. The downpour started on Monday and was expected to last through Friday. In some areas, such as valleys, mountain slopes and cities, more than six inches of rain fell in 24 hours, according to Brazil's National Institute of Meteorology.