Heavy rains leave 10 dead in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO: Landslides triggered by heavy rains have left 10 people dead over the past 24 hours in the Brazilian tourist town of Petropolis, whose historic center is under water, authorities said Monday.

Among the victims are two civil defense officials who took part in rescue efforts in the town located 68 kilometers (42 miles) north of Rio, Sergio Simoes, the Rio state civil defense secretary, told Globo television.

Simoes described the situation in Brazil's former imperial capital, where emperor Pedro II and his court used to spend the summer, as "very serious."

"The continuing rains heighten the risks of mudslides. There are many vulnerable areas in the mountainous region and as a result we are very concerned," he said.

Up to 390 millimeters (15 inches) of rain have fallen in some city districts in the past 24 hours, when only 270 millimeters were anticipated for all of March.

Petropolis Mayor Rubens Bomtempo urged residents to remain indoors and warned of the possibility of more landslides.

A civil defense statement said the rains also affected other Rio state towns, including Angra dos Reis, Mangaratiba, Niteroi and Teresopolis.

In January 2011, more than 900 people died in Rio state's rugged region after heavy downpours spawned flooding and landslides.