Death toll from floods in Brazil's south climbs to at least 136

A man rows a boat on a street flooded by heavy rains, in Sao Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, May 11, 2024. [AP Photo]

The death toll from heavy rains in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state has climbed to 136, the local civil defense government body said on Saturday, up from 126 the previous day, while another 125 people remain unaccounted for.

Storms and floods battering the South American country's southernmost state have also left around 537,000 displaced, according to the local civil defense body, a significant increase from the 340,000 reported a day earlier.