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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Brazil pledges aid to flood victims

In this image released by the Alagoas state government, residents wear masks to protect from airborne diseases, in Santana do Mundau, Brazil, Tuesday.  (Associated Press)
Marcelo Soares Los Angeles Times

SAO PAULO, Brazil – The Brazilian government on Tuesday pledged $100 million in food, water and reconstruction aid for northeastern Brazil, where devastating floods have killed at least 41 people and left an estimated 115,000 others homeless. Hundreds of people were still missing.

Heavy rains caused rivers in the Alagoas and Pernambuco states to rise by as much as 15 feet. Floodwaters from the Una River knocked out two main bridges and washed out parts of the Atlantic coastal highway connecting Pernambuco with the rest of the country.

Worst hit was the Alagoas town of Uniao de Palmares, where 500 people were reported missing. Drinking water there and in several other cities was compromised. Television images showed much of the town, located about 1,500 miles northeast of Sao Paulo, sunk in mud. The only hospital in the town of 62,000 was destroyed.

“The hospital workers are in tears. All the equipment is broken, and the chairs from the reception area are up in the trees,” said local journalist Joao Valadares in a telephone interview.

In Pernambuco, about 1,300 miles northeast of Sao Paulo, authorities reported 30 cities facing emergency conditions, with 17,800 people living in shelters.