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Brazil mudslides kill at least 37 Heavy rains kill dozens in Brazil
(about 8 hours later)
Mudslides in southern Brazil have killed at least 37 people and made thousands homeless after several days of heavy rain, officials say. Communities across southeastern Brazil have declared a state of emergency as torrential rain continues to cause extensive damage in the region.
Most of the deaths were in mountainous areas of Rio de Janeiro state, where shantytown dwellings were swept away by torrents of mud. At least 50 people are reported to have died, more than half of them in the state of Rio de Janeiro, since the beginning of the year.
A state of emergency has been declared in several areas and the federal government has promised aid. Tens of thousands have been left homeless by floods and landslides.
More heavy rain has been forecast for the region for the rest of the week. Southeast Brazil has experienced almost continuous heavy downpours and thunderstorms since the new year.
Tens of thousands of people across several Brazilian states have been forced from their homes by the mudslides and are taking shelter in schools and churches. The worst affected areas have been the mountainous state of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro on the coast, where 29 people have reportedly been killed in the past week.
The governor of Rio state, Sergio Cabral, flew in a helicopter over the hardest-hit region north of Rio de Janeiro city and met with local officials. Many of the deaths have been caused by mudslides and the collapse of poorly-built homes on the steep hillsides.
Brazil's main coastal highway was blocked when a bridge collapsed and at least two people were struck by lightning.
The governor of Rio state, Sergio Cabral, is appealing for federal aid to help the worst-affected municipalities, 12 of which have declared an official state of emergency.
In Rio alone at least 16,000 people are thought to have been left homeless.
The exceptionally heavy rain has been provoked by a combination of tropical air from the Amazon and a cold front on the Atlantic coast.
The conditions are expected to continue until at least the end of the week.