Death toll reaches 75 in Brazil floods, over 100 missing as authorities race against time to rescue victims​

The death toll has risen to 75 in Brazil floods, as the calamity continues to wreak havoc in the country's southern Rio Grande do Sul state, Al Jazeera reported. (AFP photo)

More than 88,000 people were displaced from their homes as a result of the rains, according to state civil defence authorities on Sunday. Approximately 16,000 people sought refuge in schools, gyms, and other temporary shelters. (AFP photo)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also visited Rio Grande do Sul for a second time on Sunday, accompanied by Defence Minister Jose Mucio, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad and Environment Minister Marina Silva, among others, according to Al Jazeera. (AFP photo)

Rescue operations are under way as emergency responders race against time to locate survivors trapped amidst the debris of collapsed homes, bridges, and roads. The surge in water levels in the state of Rio Grande do Sul is straining dams and threatening the metropolis of Porto Alegre, the country's civil defence agency said, according to Al Jazeera. (AFP)

The surge in water levels in the state of Rio Grande do Sul is straining dams and threatening the metropolis of Porto Alegre, the country's civil defence agency said, according to Al Jazeera. (AFP photo)

Governor Eduardo Leite declared a state of emergency as the region grapples with the aftermath of the catastrophic weather event. "We are dealing with the worst disaster in [our] history," Governor Leite lamented, acknowledging the grim reality that the death toll is expected to rise further as rescue efforts continue. (AFP photo)

Forecasters have issued warnings of further peril, as the state's main Guaiba river is anticipated to reach alarming levels, exacerbating the existing crisis. Entire communities have been cut off, with infrastructure severely compromised by the relentless downpour. (AFP photo)

The dire situation has prompted authorities to urge residents to evacuate from high-risk areas near rivers and hillsides susceptible to mudslides. Access to basic amenities such as drinking water has been disrupted, leaving hundreds of thousands without essential services. (AFP photo)

Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite said his state, normally one of Brazil's most prosperous, would need a "Marshall Plan" of heavy investment to rebuild after the catastrophe. (AFP photo)

The devastating storms were the result of a "disastrous cocktail" of global warming and the El Nino weather phenomenon, climatologist Francisco Eliseu Aquino told AFP on Friday. South America's largest country has recently experienced a string of extreme weather events, including a cyclone in September that killed at least 31 people. (Reuters photo)