Flooded World Cup stadium closes after Brazil battered by torrential rain
One of Brazil’s World Cup football stadiums has closed amid severe flooding that has devastated the southern part of the country.
Estádio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre will not host matches until at least May 27 after being caught up in the worst natural disaster in the history of Rio Grande do Sul state.
At least 95 people have been killed and 131 are missing, state officials say, since heavy rains began battering the country last week.
The 50,000-capacity home of the Brazilian club Internacional hosted five matches during the 2014 World Cup, including games involving France, Germany and Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
Its closure is the latest football stadium to be devastated by the floods after the home grounds of two other clubs – Gremio and Juventude – were also inundated.
Damage caused by days of torrential rain, which shattered all previous records for the region, has forced more than 160,000 people from their homes.
At least 15,000 have taken refuge in schools, gymnasiums and other temporary shelters.
“The tolls continue to rise and unfortunately we anticipate that they are still very inaccurate because the emergency is continuing to develop,” said Eduardo Leite, the governor of the region.
Police said there have also been reports of evacuated homes being looted, prompting some residents to defy orders to move to shelters so they can defend their property.
Porto Alegre, the state capital, is home to about 1.4 million people and the larger metropolitan area has more than double that number.
The Guaiba river, which runs through Porto Alegre, remained at historic high levels on Wednesday.
For the thousands of people stranded by impassable roads, collapsed bridges and flooded homes in Rio Grande do Sul, “the most urgent demand is drinking water,” said Sabrina Ribas, a state official.
The Brazilian Navy said it would send its Atlantic vessel – Latin America’s largest – to the region on Wednesday with two mobile water treatment stations.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president, said more emergency funds would be freed up, vowing there would be “no lack of resources to meet the needs of Rio Grande do Sul”.
About 15,000 soldiers, firefighters, police and volunteers have been assisting with the relief effort.
Brazil’s neighbours Uruguay and Argentina have also sent rescue equipment and trained personnel.
During Sunday mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis said he was praying for the state’s population while Brazilian footballer Neymar urged his social media followers “to help even more”.
The 32-year-old, who is currently playing in Saudi Arabia, said: “I’m here from afar praying for everything to return to normal.”
Weather forecasters have suggested the rain will worsen in the coming days with storms expected in the south of Rio Grande do Sul followed by more heavy rain across the entire region.
