Thousands flee as flooding ravages Brazil

SAO PAULO — The death toll from heavy rains that have caused flooding in Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to at least 83, local officials said on Monday, with more than 122,000 people displaced.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in Rio Grande do Sul on Sunday morning with most members of his cabinet to discuss rescue and reconstruction efforts with local authorities.

"It is a war scenario, and will need postwar measures," State Governor Eduardo Leite said.

Volunteers, using boats, Jet Skis, and even swimming, have assisted in ongoing rescue efforts. In the state capital Porto Alegre, Fabiano Saldanha said he and three friends have used Jet Skis to save about 50 people from floodwaters since Friday in islands that are part of the city.

"The only thing we hear when we enter a street is 'help,' 'help,'" Saldanha said.

The death toll could still substantially increase as 111 people were reported missing on Monday, up from 105 the previous day, according to the state civil defense authority. It also said it was investigating whether another four deaths were related to the storms.

Flooding from storms in the past few days has affected more than two-thirds of the nearly 500 cities in the state, which borders Uruguay and Argentina, leaving more than 122,000 people displaced, according to authorities.

Floods have destroyed roads and bridges in several cities. The rains also triggered landslides and the partial collapse of a dam at a small hydroelectric power plant.

More than 400,000 people were without power on Sunday evening, while nearly a third of the state's population was without water, authorities said.

Agencies Via Xinhua