Death toll from south Brazil's rainstorm hits 151

The death toll of south Brazil rainstorm has hit 151, while another 104 people remain missing, Brazil's Civil Defense agency said Thursday.

Since torrential rains began to lash the country's southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, on April 29, floods and mudslides have left some 600,000 people homeless.

According to the Civil Defense agency's latest report, over 2.28 million residents have been directly impacted by the disaster in the state, which borders Argentina and Uruguay, and is a center of Brazilian agribusiness, as well as the top rice producer in Latin America.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited the area on Wednesday, speaking to those taking refuge in shelters, and pledged more aid for displaced families so they can buy new homes.

The government has set up an extraordinary secretariat in Porto Alegre, which has the ranking of a ministry, to coordinate relief and recovery efforts through February 2025.

In addition to government efforts, statistics show that more than 15,000 volunteers from all over Brazil have contributed to disaster relief in the region.

At a relief supply distribution center in Porto Alegre, capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, about 2,000 volunteers have been working in morning and evening shifts to help local authorities receive and distribute donations from all over the country.

Guilherme Miller, a local English teacher, became one of the volunteers after the rainstorms forced the closure of his school.

"Any person who has one hour to help can come here, can help. It's my duty to come here and work every day as much as I can," said Miller.

In a shelter in the hardest-hit city of Canoas, more than 260 people have lost their homes and there is a shortage of medical personnel. Fabio, a doctor of a private hospital in Porto Alegre, took the initiative to provide medical services at the shelter.

"I'm doing my best to help with both medical care and nighttime emergencies. This weekend, 200 volunteer doctors and nurses from Santa Catarina will be here to help," said Fabio.

Death toll from south Brazil's rainstorm hits 151

Death toll from south Brazil's rainstorm hits 151

Death toll from south Brazil's rainstorm hits 151

Death toll from south Brazil's rainstorm hits 151

Several provinces in eastern China are on high alert and have intensified their efforts to mitigate the impact of the sustained rainstorms and strong gusts brought by Typhoon Gaemi as it continues its northward trajectory.

The typhoon, the third of the year, made its second landfall in Putian City of east China's Fujian Province Thursday evening, according to the provincial meteorological bureau.

The typhoon has brought heavy downpours to Putian's Xiapu County, resulting in severe flooding and damage to some 35 houses. Temporary traffic controls have been implemented, while many business operations have been suspended in the county.

After making landfall in Fujian, Typhoon Gaemi is now continuing to move northward, with its winds gradually weakening. The storm was expected to reach the eastern Jiangxi Province further inland on Friday night local time, prompting authorities to upgrade their emergency response measures.

Affected by the peripheral cloud system around Typhoon Gaemi, heavy rainfall and strong windstorms battered the province's Fuzhou City on Friday morning. At 10:00 on Friday, local authorities initiated an emergency response mechanism, while local farmers raced against time to harvest crops, aiming to reduce the typhoon's potential damage and minimize losses.

The typhoon also brought heavy rainfall to most parts of east China's Zhejiang Province overnight on Thursday.

Heavy rainfall triggered multiple landslides in the Jingning She Autonomous County of Lishui City, blocking roads with mud and debris. Upon receiving alerts, the local traffic department deployed relief teams in an effort to clear affected roads.

In the neighboring Jiangsu Province, Nantong City began to experience strong winds starting Thursday, leading to the temporary suspension of several cross-river routes.

Typhoon Gaemi continues northward trajectory, bringing strong winds, rainstorms