BREAKING NEWS

Death toll from floods in Brazil hits 126 as rain returns in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul

Rains returned to Rio Grande do Sul on Friday as the death toll from historic floods in Brazil's southernmost state reached 126, according to local authorities, climbing from 113 earlier in the day.

Storms and floods battering the state, home to some 10.9 million people, have also displaced almost 340,000 while another 141 people are still unaccounted for, civil defense said.

Heavy rains have caused several rivers and lakes in the region to hit their highest levels ever, while floods blocked streets and disrupted logistics, triggering a shortage of essential goods in certain areas.

Almost two million people have been affected so far, civil defense said in their latest update on Friday evening.