Death toll from heavy rains in southern Brazil jumps to 29, with 60 more still mising

Associated Press

The death toll from heavy rains in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state has jumped to 29, with another 60 people missing, according to the state’s civil defense agency. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva traveled to the state on Thursday to meet with local authorities and express his solidarity. Operators reported electricity and water cuts across the state, and officials detailed numerous incidents of flooded roads, landslides and collapsed bridges as water levels of rivers and streams rose sharply. Part of the structure of a hydroelectric dam gave way on Thursday. More than 10,000 people have been forced from their homes, according to the civil defense agency.