DRAMATIC images show an iconic World Cup football stadium completely flooded after days of torrential rain battered Brazil.
The “apocalyptic” floods caused massive destruction in the southern part of the country and killed at least 100 people.
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With heavy rains hitting the country, the Beira-Rio Stadium in Brazil was closed after being hit by the “worst disaster” in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Shocking drone footage shows the stadium submerged following the devastating deluge that inundated Brazil last week.
The Porto Alegre stadium, home of Sport Club Internacional, will not host any matches until at least May 27th.
The 50,000 capacity stadium hosted five matches during the 2014 World Cup.
It is the latest stadium to close due to heavy flooding, after the Arena do Grêmio and Estádio Alfredo Jaconi were also flooded.
In the video, hundreds of houses can be seen submerged, with only their roofs visible, as residents used small boards and surfboards to move around.
The flood-ravaged country is still recovering from the catastrophe, as emergency services continue to try to rescue survivors.
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Heavy rains claimed the lives of at least 100 people, while another 130 are missing in Rio Grande do Sul.
The floods affected around 400 municipalities, causing extensive destruction across the state, leaving 230,000 residents displaced.
Rescue efforts have been halted as forecasters predict more rain and strong winds are expected later in the week.
The floods began last week and destroyed highways and bridges in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The images show cars being swept away while a bridge completely disappears in the strong current.
On Tuesday, the state’s governor, Eduardo Leite, warned that the number of human casualties would likely increase as “the emergency continues to develop” in the state capital of Harbor Alegre and other cities and towns.
The state governor, Eduardo Leite, speaking in News The conference earlier this week urged residents to seek shelter as predicted rain could cause more severe flooding.
“This is no time to go home,” he said.
Authorities urged people not to return to affected areas due to possible landslides and health dangers.
“Contaminated water can transmit diseases,” warned Civil Defense spokeswoman Sabrina Ribas this Wednesday.
The Beira-Rio Stadium was one of the 12 venues used for the 2014 FIFA World Cuphosting five of the tournament’s matches.
Beira-Rio Stadium
The Beira-Rio Stadium, home of Sport Club Internacional do Brasil, was one of the 12 venues used for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
It hosted five of the tournament’s matches.
- France – Honduras June 15, 2014
- Australia v Netherlands, June 18, 2014
- South Korea x Algeria, June 22, 2014
- Nigeria x Argentina, June 25, 2014
- Germany – Algeria, June 30, 2014
The mayor of Eldorado do Sul, Ernani de Freitas, said that the city will be completely evacuated and that it will take at least a year to recover.
Authorities estimate it will cost up to £745 million to clean up the damage.
Harbor Alegre is home to around 1.4 million people.
The Guaíba River, in the state, which crosses Harbor Alegre, it has reached historic levels and five dams are at risk of collapse, two of which are in “imminent” danger.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
