Landslides and Massive Floods Kill over 60 in Brazil

[Meatpie]

Brazil: Landslides and flooding kill 60 in Rio Grande do Sul

Officials say another 67 people are missing in Rio Grande do Sul, with more rain forecast.

www.bbc.com

Massive flooding and landslides triggered by days of heavy rain in Brazil's southernmost state have killed 56 people.

Officials say another 67 people are missing in Rio Grande do Sul.

Nearly 25,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes since the storms began last Saturday.

At least half a million were without power and clean water, with further rainfall expected.

The extreme weather has been caused by a rare combination of hotter than average temperatures, high humidity and strong winds.

More than half of the 497 cities in the state have been affected by the storms, with roads and bridges destroyed in several areas.

The storms also caused landslides and the collapse of a hydroelectric dam near the city of Bento Gonçalves, killing 30 people.