31 dead in Brazil storms

RIO DE JANEIRO - At least 31 people have died in the storms that hit Brazil’s northeastern states of Pernambuco and Alagoas, civil defence officials said.

In Alagoas state, 19 people died and over 600 were injured in the past two days, while in Pernambuco state, the number of casualties reached 12. Over 1,000 people are missing and around 95,000 people had to leave their homes due to the storms, Xinhua reported.

The situation became worse worse after the Bom Conselho Dam, in Pernambuco state, broke down, causing the Mumbau river to overflow and flood several towns.