Increase in Death Toll Due to Rains in Brazil

The local civil defense authority in Brazil announced that the death toll from heavy rains in the state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to 143, up from 136 reported on Saturday. Meanwhile, 125 others remain unaccounted for. The government announced an emergency funding of approximately 12.1 billion Brazilian Reais (2.34 billion US dollars) on Saturday evening to address the crisis that has displaced over 537,000 people in the state, which has a total population of about 10.9 million. The federal government stated in a report on Saturday that, following the announcement of this amount, the total funds allocated to the state have already exceeded 60 billion Brazilian Reais. The Brazilian meteorological agency forecasted more rainfall for today, which will lead to rivers being replenished after flooding.