Death toll rises to 154 from Brazil's weather catastrophe

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)-Monitoring: Xinhua reported citing the agency that nearly 2.3 million people were affected in at least 461 municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul, while a total of some 620,000 people were evacuated to shelters.

The agency added that more than 82,000 people and 12,100 animals were rescued in 19 days of emergency.

Unprecedented weather phenomenon caused heavy rains in the state, leading to south Brazil's worst climate disaster on record with severe flooding and mudslides.

The Salgado Filho International Airport of Porto Alegre, the state capital, was flooded and closed with no reopening date specified./ Mehr