Floods wreak havoc in Brazil, killing scores and displacing thousands

Heavy rains in Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul this week killed at least 55 people, reported Reuters.

Around 74 people are still missing and more than 69,000 have been displaced.

The storms over the last few days have affected nearly two thirds of the 497 cities in the state.

Floods destroyed roads and bridges in several regions of the state, note Reuters reports. In several towns, streets essentially turned into rivers.

The storm also triggered landslides and the partial collapse of a dam at a small hydroelectric power plant.

The news agency further reported that a second dam in the city of Bento Goncalves is also at risk of collapsing.

In Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, the Guaiba lake broke its banks, flooding streets. Porto Alegre's international airport has suspended all flights for an indefinite period.

State Governor Eduardo Leite told reporters that Rio Grande do Sul would need a "Marshall Plan" to recover from the storms and its consequences, according to Reuters.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who had visited Rio Grande do Sul on Thursday, will travel back to the state on Sunday to follow the rescue efforts, his chief of communication Paulo Pimenta informed.

The news agency also reported that rains are expected in the northern and northeastern regions of the state until Sunday.

However, the volume of precipitation has been declining, and should be well below the peak seen earlier in the week.

Heavy rains had already hit Rio Grande do Sul last September, as an extratropical cyclone caused floods that killed more than 50 people.