Cyclone in RS: death toll from heavy rains reaches 21

The Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul reported, this Tuesday afternoon (5), that the number of deaths rose to 21 due to the heavy rains that hit the state due to the passage of an extratropical cyclone.

The update on the number of victims came after the Fire Department found 15 dead in the municipality of Muçum when inspecting homes after the storm. So far, six deaths have been confirmed in the state.

In Estrela, a 58-year-old man died, this Tuesday morning, due to an electrical discharge while helping a neighbor to remove furniture from the house affected by the flood.

According to Governor Eduardo Leite (PSDB), in Lajeado, a woman died during a rescue attempt on the Taquari River. The helicopter rope broke during the rescue, causing the victim and a military police officer to fall into the water and be carried away by the current.

The policeman was rescued and is seriously injured, but the lady did not resist. On Monday (4), four deaths had already been recorded due to heavy rains in the state.

In addition to Rio Grande do Sul, the Santa Catarina Military Combeiros Corps (CBMSC) confirmed, this Tuesday (5), a victim in the Santa Catarina municipality of Jupiá, in the west of the state.

The SC Fire Department informed the CNN that the garrison team of the city of São Lourenço do Oeste was called to respond to an occurrence of a eucalyptus tree that fell on a vehicle and killed the driver. The victim was an adult male, who was alone in the car when firefighters arrived at the scene.

The death was confirmed by a doctor at a health unit in the city and the body was sent to the Legal Medical Institute (IML) in the region.

Four deaths were confirmed on Monday in RS