Accessibility links

Breaking News

Brazil Flood Death Toll Still Rising


Firefighters, a National Force soldier and residents carry the body of a landslide victim from a home where the bodies of eight family members were found in Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, 20 Jan 2011
Firefighters, a National Force soldier and residents carry the body of a landslide victim from a home where the bodies of eight family members were found in Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, 20 Jan 2011

The death toll from Brazil's flooding and mudslides is more than 800.

Authorities say the number of bodies counted has reached 806 in the mountainous Serrana region, where days of heavy rains unleashed flash flooding and rivers of mud. The floods leveled houses, dislodged cars, and left thousands of people homeless in the area north of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

The flooding and mudslides are the deadliest on record for Brazil.

President Dilma Rousseff's government has allocated about $460 million in emergency aid for the affected areas, but survivors have criticized authorities for not providing enough help.

Landslides and floods are common in Brazil, often affecting poor communities where shacks are built on steep, unstable hillsides.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

XS
SM
MD
LG