According to CNN, which cited the state's civil defense force, the number of fatalities has increased to 83 following a series of devastating floods that struck the country in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.




According to Rio Grande do Sul's Civil Defense, at least 111 individuals are reported missing and 276 people are reportedly injured.
Furthermore, Sul claims that at least 121,000 people have been displaced. According to reports, police are also looking into four more deaths to see whether they have anything to do with the storms.
More than 850,000 people in 345 municipalities have been impacted by the calamity, which has destroyed homes, roads, and bridges.

A few locals and evacuees claimed to have seen dead remains in the floodwaters that had probably not yet been included to the death toll. According to  report, Col. Jose Carlos Sallet, subcommander of Rio Grande do Sul Military Firefighters, about 1,000 firefighters are engaged in rescue operations.

"They have been conducting quick operations to save as many people as possible as the rain stops. We were able to step up operations yesterday (Saturday)," Sallet added. According to Al Jazeera, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva traveled to Rio Grande do Sul on Sunday for a second visit. Accompanying him were the ministers of environment, finance, and defense, Jose Mucio, and Marina Silva.

From a helicopter, the leader and his group inspected the inundated streets of Porto Alegre, the state capital. Furthermore, in several spots, the photos showed dirty brown waves rising as high as rooftops, and rescue crews were there using inflatable rafts to transport people and animals on board.
As the area struggles to deal with the impact of the devastating weather event, Governor Eduardo Leite issued a state of emergency.

Governor Leite bemoaned, "We are dealing with the worst disaster in [our] history," accepting the sobering fact that as rescue operations continue, the death toll is likely to increase even higher. Rio Grande do Sul has been more frequently affected by severe weather in recent years; in September, the state had a sub-tropical storm that resulted in at least 54 fatalities, according to report.

Extreme weather is being amplified globally by the climate crisis, which is mostly being caused by human activity burning fossil fuels, increasing the frequency and intensity of numerous disasters.