Brazil flood death toll hits 97

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- The death toll from massive flooding and landslides in southern Brazil reached 97 Thursday with about 20 people still missing, officials said.

After flying over some of the flooded areas, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called the disaster one of the worst in the country's history, CNN said.

"I've never seen anything like this," he said.

The rains, which started five days ago, have hit the state of Santa Catarina the hardest, affecting a reported 1.5 million people -- one-fourth of the population. More than 54,000 residents are reported homeless, civil defense officials said.

The state, which cuts across southern Brazil from the Atlantic Ocean to the border with Argentina, is one of the most prosperous in the country.

The landslides have shut off many areas, with six cities unreachable. Authorities have been unable to send aid to much of the state, the BBC reported.

In Itajai, a city on the coast, police for a while were reportedly allowing residents to take food and water from stores because they had no other recourse.

The flooding caused heavy damage to Brazil's second-busiest container port on the Itajai River, the Financial Times said. APM Terminals, the majority owner, said that a full assessment of damage must wait for the water to go down, but the port will be shut down for at least 10 days.