Days of flooding and mudslides have left at least 109 people dead in south-east Brazil, with a mountainous region near Rio de Janeiro bearing the brunt Wedesday. Local officials and media said 96 people died in the Serrana mountain region north of Rio Tuesday and Wednesday after extremely heavy tropical rain sent hillslides sliding into towns and rivers broke their banks.
One town, Teresopolis, counted 71 deaths, according to a tally given to AFP by the mayor's office. Nearby Petropolis suffered at least 18 deaths, a municipal official said.