Heavy Rains Kill at Least 95 in Brazil

At least 95 people have died in southeastern Brazil after the heaviest rains in decades triggered flooding and mudslides. Most of the fatalities occurred in the Rio de Janeiro area.

Flooding was so intense that the authorities urged city residents to remain indoors and not venture into downtown areas, where streets were impassable.

Officials say most of the casualties were trapped in landslides in the hillside shanty towns, known as favelas, RTE.ie reports.

According to reports, most of the deaths were caused by mudslides as many shantytowns are located on hills.

Eduardo Paes, mayor of the state's capital city Rio de Janeiro, said, "In less than 24 hours, the rainfall in the region reached 288 millimeters, surpassing the previous record of 245 millimeters registered in 1966." About 3,000 firefighters are working to rescue residents, Paes said.
The death toll is likely to increase in the next few hours, as many people remain missing, Oneindia says.

The mayor said 10,000 houses remained at risk, mostly in the slums where about a fifth of Rio's people live, often in precarious shacks that are highly vulnerable to heavy rains.

The downpour, which began late on Monday, is the worst Rio has recorded in 30 years, Telegraph informs.