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Flood affects 64,000 in northern Brazil

23 February 2012 01:50 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The flood in the state of Acre in northern Brazil has already affected 64,000 people and the situation is expected to get worse, the local Civil Defense said Wednesday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The Civil Defense said it is the second worst flood ever registered in the state, with about 8,500 people having lost their homes and 44,700 having to be temporarily relocated.

"The estimates should increase because the Acre River tends to keep flooding and information is still coming from rural areas," said Armin Braun, head of Civil Defenseâ€™s Risk Management.

The Acre Riverâ€™s waters are now about 17.4 meters above the usual level. The year of 1997 witnessed the worst flood in the state, with the Acre Riverâ€™s waters about 17.6 meters above the usual level.

The federal government and the state have provided support to the flood victims, with the Air Force sending two helicopters and two planes to help with transportation, and 70 national forces being shipped to the state to help with the relief work.