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Heavy rains cause 50 deaths in southern Brazil

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-25 09:47

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Some 50 people have been killed in Brazil's storm-ravaged southern state of Santa Catarina over the past three days, the civil defense department said Monday.

More than 22,000 people have been forced to leave their homes due to the floods and landslides caused by continuous rains in the state over the past two months. Some 1.5 million people have been affected by the storms, the department said.

State Governor Luiz Henrique da Silveira declared a state of emergency  Saturday, saying the situation was "a climatic crisis that requires everyone to come together."

Four cities in the state were cut off from surrounding areas due to the landslides, which blocked traffic on at least 18 highways.

The most affected towns are Ilhota, with 14 dead, and Blumenau, with 13.In the northern town of Joinville, some 2,350 people have been forced to leave their homes.