Brazilian authorities announced that the number of victims of torrential rains that caused floods in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in the south of the country rose to at least 78 people, with tens of thousands displaced. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held a press conference in the state, accompanied by a group of ministers, about rescue and reconstruction work. Bureaucracy will not prevent restoring the greatness of the state, he said. In turn, Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, said that the situation is more like a war zone, and its repercussions should also be addressed. Floods caused by storms in the past few days have damaged about two-thirds of the state's 500 towns and cities, displacing more than 88,000 people. The water destroyed roads and bridges in several cities in the state. The rains also caused landslides and a partial collapse of a dam at a small hydroelectric power station. Rio Grande do Sul was hit last September by a tropical cyclone causing floods that kill ed more than 50 people. Source: Qatar News Agency