The cyclone hit southern Brazil and left at least five dead

He extratropical cyclone which advances south of Brazil since Monday has left at least five dead and thousands evacuated in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, as official sources reported on Tuesday.

Strong gusts of wind and heavy rainfall caused chaos in about 60 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, where nearly 4,000 people had to leave their homes, according to the latest bulletin from Civil defense.

This one border area with Uruguay and Argentina and one of whose economic engines is the agricultural sector, has been hit by several cyclones since last June, unusual occurrences in this area of ​​the country.

Four deceased were registered Rio Grande do Sul, where it is also being investigated whether the man was electrocuted as a result of the floods caused by the rise of the river, according to what Civil Protection sources told EFE.

The fifth cyclone-related death occurred in neighboring Santa Catarina, where a man lost his life after a tree fell on the vehicle he was traveling in.

Three people were also injured on the northern coast of Santa Catarina as a result of the storm that hit southern Brazil, overflowing rivers and causing hail and winds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silvathis Tuesday he expressed his solidarity with the affected families and promised to “do everything possible to help the population” to overcome this moment.

Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, He stated that the priority is “rescuing the families that remained isolated and preserving life”.

“Our Civil Protection and Fire Brigade teams have been on the ground since yesterday (Monday) to help the population. At the same time, we are working to clear the approaches blocked by the rain,” he said.

Leite reminded that this cyclone is the fourth severe weather event to hit Rio Grande do Sul since last June.

That month, the passage of another extratropical cyclone caused the death of 16 people and around 15,000 evacuees. In July, the phenomenon happened again, leaving one dead, twenty injured and about a million people without electricity. A third passed in August without reports of major damage.