Brazilian state reels after its worst cyclone disaster

Torrential rain and winds caused by a cyclone have left at least 21 people dead in southern Brazil, with more flooding expected.

The governor of Rio Grande do Sul said it was the state’s worst-ever weather disaster.

Thousands have been forced from their homes, officials said. In Mucum, a town of 5,000 people, hundreds had to be rescued from their rooftops as 85% of the town was flooded, local media report.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the federal government was ready to help. “Where there is a problem, the federal government will be there to save people from these problems,” he said.

Eduardo Leite, governor of Rio Grande do Sul, told a news conference that 15 more bodies had been found in Mucum on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 21.

More than 300 mm (11 inches) of rain hit the state in less than 24 hours, triggering floods and landslides, officials said.

“There are still people missing,” Mucum Mayor Mateus Trojan told Radio Gaucha. “The death toll might climb higher. The town of Mucum as we knew it no longer exists.”

Rescue workers have been using helicopters to reach areas cut off by flooding.

(BBC)