The death toll from floods and landslides that devastated a mountainous region near Rio de Janeiro rose to 348 today, according to authorities in the three worst-affected Brazilian towns.
Heavy rains earlier in the week killed 13 people in Sao Paulo state, raising the death toll in southern Brazil to 361.
Hillsides and riverbanks in the picturesque Serrana region north of Rio collapsed after the equivalent of a month's rain fell in 24 hours, destroying houses and killing many people as they slept early yesterday.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff signed a decree yesterday releasing reconstruction funds for the affected areas. She is due to fly over the region today.
Television images showed many houses buried in mud as desperate residents and rescue workers searched for survivors.
At least 130 people were killed in Teresopolis, about 100km north of Rio, town officials said. At least 20 people were killed in the city of Petropolis, and 107 in the town of Nova Friburgo, state officials said.
The number of victims was expected to rise as rescuers find more bodies and reach more remote areas. "I believe the number of dead is much more than was announced so far," Rio state environment secretary Carlos Minc was quoted as saying by Globo television after he flew over the region. "Many people died while they were sleeping."
About 50 people were believed missing just in Teresopolis, Mayor Jorge Mario said.
"Rescue teams are still arriving in the areas that have been worst affected," he said, adding that about 1,000 people had been left homeless. "It's the biggest catastrophe in the history of the town."
Thousands of people in the region were isolated by the flood waters and cut off from power and telephone contact. The downpour caused at least one river to burst its banks, submerging cars and destroying houses in Teresopolis, television images showed.
"I saw six bodies on my street," Teresopolis resident Antonio Venancio (53), whose house was inundated with mud but remained standing, told Reuters by telephone. "We just don't know what to do in the face of something so horrible."
Rio state Governor Sergio Cabral said in a statement he had asked the navy for aircraft to take rescue crews and equipment to the region, which was partially cut off from Rio by road.
Reuters