1 dead, 5 missing after cyclone hits Brazil

Brasilia, June 17

At least one person was killed and five others were reported missing due to storms and floods caused by an extratropical cyclone in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, authorities reported.

Governor Eduardo Leite said that a 23-year-old was killed in the city of Sao Leopoldo by electric shock in the middle of the floods, while five others were missing in neighbouring municipalities, reports Xinhua news agency.

At least 16 cities that form the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul, are in a state of emergency due to flooding.

Landslides and floods have also caused the closing of more than 15 highways, while more than a dozen flights were cancelled at the Porto Alegre Salgado Filho airport.

The effects of the cyclone were also felt in the neighbouring state of Santa Catarina, where dozens of people had to be evacuated from several areas, according to reports from the Globo News network.