Brazil mudslides from torrential rains kill at least 38

Local authorities say the death toll from mudslides and floods that swept through a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state has reached 38

© Silvia IzquierdoResidents and volunteers remove the body of a landslide victim in Petropolis, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.

The death toll from devastating mudslides and floods that swept through a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state has reached 38, local authorities said Wednesday.

The city of Petropolis was slammed by a deluge on Tuesday, and Mayor Rubens Bomtempo said the number of dead could rise as searchers picked through the wreckage.

Rosilene Virgilio, 49, was in tears as she recalled the pleas for help from a woman she couldn't save.

"Yesterday there was a woman screaming, 'Help! Get me out of here!' But we couldn't do anything; the water was gushing out, the mud was gushing out," Virgilio told The Associated Press. "Our city unfortunately is finished."

Petropolis is a German-influenced city named for former emperor Dom Pedro I. Nestled in the mountains above the coastal metropolis, for almost two centuries it has been a refuge for people escaping summer heat and tourists keen to explore Brazil's "Imperial City." It features stately mansions along its waterways, but its mountainsides are covered with homes packed tightly together, some of which lack proper foundations.

Gov. Claudio Castro said that he was mustering all the state government's heavy machinery to help dig out the buried area. He told journalists that soldiers were already working in the stricken region, which saw almost more than 900 deaths from heavy rainfall in January 2011.

The state fire department said late Tuesday the area got 25.8 centimeters (just over 10 inches) of rain within three hours Tuesday -- almost as much as during the previous 30 days combined.

Video posted on social media showed cars and houses being dragged away by landslides, and water swirling through Petropolis and neighboring districts. The Globo television network showed houses buried beneath mud in areas firefighters hadn't yet been able to access.

Several streets remained inaccessible Wednesday as cars and household goods piled up, blocking access to higher parts of the city.

"The neighbors came down running and I gave them shelter," bar owner Emerson Torre, 39, recalled.

But under torrents of water, his roof collapsed. He managed to get his mother and three other people out of the bar in time, but one neighbor and the person's daughter were unable to escape.

"It was like an avalanche, it fell all at once. I've never seen anything like it," Torre told the AP as rescue helicopters hovered overhead. "Every neighbor has lost a loved one, has lost two, three, four members of the same family, kids."

Petropolis' city hall declared three days of mourning. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on a trip to Russia, said on Twitter that he instructed his ministers to deliver immediate support to the afflicted.

"May God comfort the family members of the victims," he wrote.

Southeastern Brazil has been punished with heavy rains since the start of the year, with more than 40 deaths recorded between incidents in Minas Gerais state in early January and Sao Paulo state later the same month.

Devastating floods and mudslides leave at least 94 dead in Brazil

At least 94 people have died after heavy rains sent devastating mudslides and floods through a mountainous region of Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state.

Petrópolis, the "imperial city" which was the summer getaway of Brazil's monarchs in the 19th century, was directly in the path of the deluge when it hit on Tuesday.

The city's mayor, Rubens Bomtempo, said the number of dead could keep on rising as searchers picked through the wreckage. Twenty-one people had been recovered alive.

Rio de Janeiro state governor, Claudio Castro, told reporters in Petrópolis: "The situation is almost like war ... Cars hanging from poles, cars overturned, lots of mud and water."

Civilians joined the official recovery efforts on Wednesday. Among them were Priscila Neves and her siblings, who looked through the mud for any sign of their disappeared parents, but found only clothing. Neves said she had given up hope of finding her parents alive.

Rosilene Virgilio, 49, was in tears as she recalled the pleas for help from a woman she couldn't save.

"Yesterday there was a woman screaming, Help! Get me out of here!' But we couldn't do anything; the water was gushing out, the mud was gushing out," Virgilio told the Associated Press. "Our city unfortunately is finished."

Governor Cláudio Castro said that he was mustering all the state government's heavy machinery to help dig out the buried area. He told journalists that soldiers were already working in the stricken region, which saw about 900 deaths from heavy rainfall in January 2011.

The state fire department said late on Tuesday the area received 25.8cm (just over 10in) of rain within three hours on Tuesday - almost as much as during the previous 30 days combined.

Video posted on social media showed cars and houses being dragged away by landslides, and water swirling through Petrópolis and neighboring districts. The Globo television network showed houses buried beneath mud in areas firefighters had not yet been able to access.

Several streets remained inaccessible on Wednesday as cars and household goods piled up, blocking access to higher parts of the city.

"The neighbors came down running and I gave them shelter," bar owner Emerson Torre, 39, recalled.

But under torrents of water, his roof collapsed. He managed to get his mother and three other people out of the bar in time, but one neighbor and the person's daughter were unable to escape.

"It was like an avalanche, it fell all at once. I've never seen anything like it," Torre told the AP as rescue helicopters hovered overhead. "Every neighbor has lost a loved one, has lost two, three, four members of the same family, kids."

Petrópolis city hall declared three days of mourning. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on a trip to Russia, said on Twitter that he instructed his ministers to deliver immediate support to the afflicted. "May God comfort the family members of the victims," he wrote.

South-eastern Brazil has been punished with heavy rains since the start of the year, with more than 40 deaths recorded between incidents in Minas Gerais state in early January and São Paulo state later the same month.

Brazilian flooding, landslide death toll rises to over 150

The death toll from landslides and floods that occurred Tuesday in the city of Petropolis in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state has risen to 152, with 165 people still unaccounted for as of Saturday night, local media Globo reported.

Several hills collapsed during the heavy rains, carrying away homes and vehicles as residents continue to dig through the mud to search for their missing loved ones.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro flew over the region on Friday and described what he saw as a "war scene."

In the heart of the disaster zone, rescue workers occasionally blew loud whistles to call for silence and listen for signs of life.

But authorities say there is little hope of finding survivors at this point.

A Globo's report said the rescue operations are understaffed and lack adequate equipment. Only 110 firefighters are searching on-site now, wildly short of the about 500 personnel the local government has previously announced.

The 555 firefighters only joined the search in Petropolis on Wednesday, it said.

According to the local authorities, only 24 people have been rescued alive so far. But that came mostly in the early hours after the tragedy.

(With input from agencies)