At least 36 people have been killed in flooding and landslides in Brazil’s São Paulo state, officials say.
Dozens of people are missing and while the number of dead is expected to rise, rescue workers say they hope to pull some of those trapped in flooded homes out of the mud alive.
Video showed neighbourhoods under water, inundated motorways and debris left after houses were swept away.
Carnival celebrations have been cancelled in a number of cities.
In the coastal town of São Sebastião, 627mm of rain fell in 24 hours, twice the expected amount for the month.
The town’s mayor, Felipe August, said the situation there was chaotic: “We have not yet gauged the scale of the damage. We are trying to rescue the victims.”
Some 50 houses had collapsed and were washed away, Mr Augusto added, saying that the situation remained “extremely critical”.
The state government reported at least 35 deaths in São Sebastião and in Ubatuba, some 80km (50 miles) north-east, a seven-year-old girl was killed when a boulder weighing two tonnes hit her home.
Hundreds have been displaced and evacuated.
Source: bbc.com
