Storms cause deaths, damages in 3 Brazilian states

RIO DE JANEIRO - Storms which have hit several parts of Brazil over the past few days have caused deaths and significant damages in three states, local news site G1 said on Wednesday.

In Sao Paulo, the country's most populated state in the southeastern region, three people were drown to death over the weekend. At least 12 towns in the state declared state of attention due to floods and mudslides, which had blocked roads and damaged bridges.

In Mato Grosso do Sul in the midwestern region, 67,000 people had to leave their homes because of the rain. 25 towns have declared a state of emergency. Mudslides have damaged 24 bridges and at least 17 highway stretches.

In the small town of Taquarussu, 200 people now remained isolated in their neighborhood, as the highway that links the area was broken by the natural disaster. There were milk production farms in the town. It is estimated that the town will lose 10,000 liters of milk, as transport trucks cannot reach the area.

In the state of Parana, the storms have affected over 15,000 people in 42 towns. One man still remained missing. The local highways department estimated that the damages to roads and bridges would reach 50 million Brazilian reals ($12.5 million).

In Londrina, one of the most important towns in the state, garbage collection has been suspended because the area housing the garbage collection center has been isolated by a flood.

Other towns are also facing problems of water and power distribution.