Death toll from Brazil's floods rises to 83, many still missing

The death toll from heavy rain that caused flooding in Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to at least 83, officials said on May 6, up from 78 a day earlier.

Rio Grande do Sul's civil defence authority said III people were still missing, while nearly 122,000 people have been displaced.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in Rio Grande do Sul on May 5, along with most members of his Cabinet, to discuss rescue and reconstruction works with the local authorities.

"Bureaucracy will not stand in our way, stopping us from recovering the state's greatness," Mr Lula said at a press conference.

"It is a war scenario, and will need post-war measures," state governor Eduardo Leite added.