Local authorities in Brazil announced Wednesday that the death toll from mudslides and floods that ripped through a mountainous section of Rio de Janeiro state has risen to 38.
A deluge hit the city of Petropolis on Tuesday, and Mayor Rubens Bomtempo warned that the death toll may grow as searchers combed through the rubble.
Governor Claudio Castro said he was mobilizing all of the state’s heavy machinery to assist with the excavation of the buried area.
According to the state fire department, the area received 25.8 cm (just over 10 inches) of rain in three hours late Tuesday, nearly as much as the previous 30 days combined.
President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, who is visiting Russia, stated on Twitter that he has asked his ministers to provide prompt assistance to the victims.
“May God console the victims’ family members,” he added.
Heavy rains have pounded southeastern Brazil since the beginning of the year, resulting in more than 40 deaths between incidents in Minas Gerais state in early January and Sao Paulo state later that month.
