Death toll from floods in Brazil hits 126 as rain returns

Rain returned to Rio Grande do Sul on May 10 as the death toll from historic floods in Brazil's southernmost state reached 126, according to the local authorities, up from 113 earlier in the day.

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Storms and floods battering the state, home to some 10.9 million people, have also displaced almost 340,000 while another 141 people are still unaccounted for, the civil defence said.

Heavy rain caused several rivers and lakes in the region to hit their highest levels ever, while floods blocked streets and disrupted logistics, triggering a shortage of essential goods in certain areas.

Almost two million people have been affected so far, the civil defence said in its latest update on the evening of May 10.