Death toll mounts from flash floods, landslides in Brazil’s Petropolis

The death toll from flash floods and landslides that hit the Brazilian city of Petropolis has risen to 186, authorities said Tuesday, one week after torrential rains lashed the tourist town.

Since the storm, rescue workers have searched for victims, digging through the mud and wreckage left by devastating landslides that mainly hit poor hillside communities.

The number of people missing currently stands at 69, a figure that has been falling as victims' bodies are identified and as families separated in the initial chaos manage to reunite.

Police said 33 children were among those killed in the February 15 deluge, which dumped a month's worth of rain on the southeastern city in several hours.

More than 850 people who lost their homes or had to evacuate are still being housed in emergency shelters.

Source: france24.com