Death toll from rains in southern Brazil climbs to 13, Lula visits region

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - The death toll from heavy rains in Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul rose to 13, local authorities said on Thursday, 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 21 people missing and 5,257 displaced in 134 cities, according to Rio Grande do Sul's civil defense.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is set to fly over the affected areas and meet with Governor Eduardo Leite later on Thursday in Santa Maria, which has seen three deaths, the most so far in one place.

A drone view shows houses in the flooded area next to the Taquari River during heavy rains in the city of Encantado in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, May 1, 2024. (REUTERS/Diego Vara)

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In a video posted on social media, Leite called for coordination in the efforts to rescue people, asking for "full force," as he declared a state of public calamity citing the risk faced by the state as a result of climate events.

Lula told Leite in a call late on Wednesday he would send as many men as necessary to help deal with the situation, according to the president's office.

A drone view of the flooded area next to the Taquari River during heavy rains in the city of Encantado in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, May 1, 2024. (REUTERS/Diego Vara)

The Rio Grande do Sul floods are just the latest recent natural disasters in Brazil. The state had already been battered by a tropical cyclone last September, when more than 30 people were killed.

(Reporting by Fernando Cardoso; Additional reporting by Marcela Ayres)