MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Rio Grande do Sul death toll updated to 16 due to extratropical cyclone

“We stand firm to overcome this very sensitive moment,” Leite said

Civil Defense from the State of Rio Grande do Sul Tuesday updated the number of casualties from last week's extratropical cyclone to 16 as more bodies were found. The State government has set up a team to search for the missing and to help those left homeless.

“The number of deaths caused by the cyclone rose to 16 after an unidentified person was found in an area of the municipality of Caraá,” said the State Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul.

In addition, 3,200 people were left homeless, while 13,824 people have been displaced, 6,500 of them alone in the municipality of Taquara.

Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite, posted on his Twitter account that he met to “discuss strategies to minimize the damage caused by the cyclone. Hundreds of servants are working to recover damaged infrastructure and provide assistance. We stand firm to overcome this very sensitive moment,” he said.

Some 500 basic food baskets were distributed to the families affected by the extratropical cyclone. “The measure is an emergency action to mitigate the effects of the storm,” Leite also said.

Since Thursday night, Civil Defense reported that teams were supporting the municipality of Maquiné, “where the river level rose rapidly and left people stranded at some points. In Caraá, the river also rose, causing many inconveniences”.