Boat slams into bridge, capsizes as death toll rises amid catastrophic flooding in southern Brazil

The death toll rose to 56 in southern Brazil Saturday with dozens still missing as historic floods continue to cause region-wide devastation. Brazilian authorities say another 74 have been injured and 67 remain missing. Overall, the floods are affecting over 420,000 people in the Rio Grande do Sul state, with over 32,000 left homeless and hundreds of thousands without power, according to the latest update from civil authorities Saturday afternoon. Heavy, torrential rains have plagued the Rio Grande do Sul region for the entire week. The town of Bento Goncalves recorded just over 21 inches of rain in the storm, while several other gauges in the area reported over 19 inches of rain. Santa Maria had 8.4 inches in one day, making it the wettest day on record there. That city received 18.5 inches in three days — corresponding to about 3 months of typical rain, according to Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology. Flooding has covered several towns, shuttered over 2,300