Southern Brazil reels from deadly deluge as climate crisis bites

Southern Brazil is grappling with the severe impacts of heavy rainfall. Reports from local media last Friday highlighted floods and landslides have claimed the lives of at least 39 people. The gravity of the situation is captured in a widely shared video, showing a bridge being swept away by the rushing river just as bystanders narrowly avoid disaster.

Since last Monday, southern Brazil has faced an onslaught of heavy rainfall, marking a flood severity not seen in this region for nearly two decades. The deluge and resulting landslides have inflicted extensive damage on buildings and bridges. By last Friday, authorities had confirmed the death toll had risen to 39, with many more individuals still reported missing. The severity of the flood's impact is further underscored by a chilling video that has surfaced online.

One such video captures a harrowing moment where a man, moments away from crossing a bridge, hesitates just as the structure begins to shudder and, ultimately, give way. Seconds later, the bridge is effortlessly carried off by the river's flow, disappearing beneath the water.

This footage is one example of nature's raw power in the Country of Coffee.

Last Tuesday, Gisele Caumo, the mayor of Santa Tereza, took to video to urge residents to exercise extreme caution during natural disasters. Her warning came just moments before the waters behind her tore a bridge from its moorings.

The ordeal facing southern Brazil continues to worsen, leaving President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to tour the disaster-stricken areas, vowing that support, both in manpower and resources, will be readily available. He highlighted the direct impact of climate change felt by the nation's citizens.

Military support has been dispatched to the south, equipped with aircraft and boats to assist in clearing debris-laden roads and distributing essential supplies such as food and water to those in calamity-hit regions.

Speaking to AFP last Friday, climatologist Francisco Eliseu Aquino attributed the destructive storms to a "catastrophic cocktail" of global warming combined with the El Niño weather phenomenon.