Flooding in Brazil: then and now – in pictures

Heavy rains that began last week have caused rivers to flood, inundating whole towns and destroying roads and bridges across the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The local civil defence agency said the death toll has risen to 90, while 131 people are still unaccounted for and 155,000 are homeless. A state of emergency has been declared in 397 of the state’s 497 towns and cities as rescue efforts continue.