Dozens of flood survivors desperate for news of missing relatives lined up outside a morgue in the Brazilian town of Teresopolis today as criticism grew of authorities' response to one of the country's worst natural disasters.
Nearly four days after rains sparked floods and massive landslides, officials in this scenic mountain town are still struggling to cope with the scale of the catastrophe that has killed at least 564 people in the region north of Rio de Janeiro.
Cemeteries in Teresopolis have been overwhelmed by the number of bodies and Brazilian media reported that residents in isolated areas have been forced to bury victims themselves.
Mortuary officials in Teresopolis, where the official death toll is 238, are using two refrigerated fish trucks to hold dozens of bodies that have still not been identified.
Many residents fear their relatives are still buried under the surge of water, mud and rocks that tore a path of destruction through some villages on the outskirts of the town, suggesting the death toll could rise sharply. Authorities have not given estimates on the number of missing people.
The extent of the damage has posed a challenge for Brazil's new President Dilma Rousseff and exposed major flaws in emergency planning and disaster prevention in a country that aspires to attain developed-nation status in coming years.
Ms Rousseff visited the region on Thursday and pledged a swift relief effort that has yet to pan out in some of the hardest-hit areas, though anger has so far been mostly directed at state and local authorities. The federal government has earmarked 780 million reais ($460 million) in emergency aid and donations were starting to pour in from around the country.