Sao Paulo

The death toll from heavy rains in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to 39 with nearly 70 people still missing, the Civil Defence agency said. The heavy rain was one of the worst climate tragedies that has so far affected 235 municipalities, including the state capital of Porto Alegre, according to the source.

The state has seen persisting rainfall since Monday, causing rivers to swell, destroying bridges, and putting the city of Porto Alegre, with a population of more than 1.4 million, on alert, source reported.

Heavy rains also spread to the neighbouring state of Santa Catarina, where a person was killed in the flooding and landslides.