At least 67 dead after rain triggers floods, landslides in Brazil

The number of people killed in landslides and flooding in the city of Petrópolis in Brazil has risen to 67, local media reported on Wednesday citing the civil protection agency.

Mayor Rubens Bomtempo has warned that the actual death toll could be higher, according to the news agency Agência Brasil. It remains unclear how many people are missing.

At least 80 houses are said to have been hit by a mudslide and more than 300 people had to leave their homes in the city, situated in the state of Rio de Janeiro north of its neighbouring city of the same name.

On Tuesday, the region saw more rain over a six-hour period than had been forecast for the entire month of February, the weather-focused television channel Climatempo reported.

The full extent of the damage became visible when day broke. The G1 news website, which described Petrópolis as a "city under mud," reported that cars had been swept away and many roads were blocked.

Dozens of firefighters and other rescue workers were deployed, while residents also grabbed what they could and got involved in the rescue efforts.

Governor Claudio Castro wrote on Twitter that heavy machinery was on its way to the city.

Rio de Janeiro and the surrounding region are frequently hit by heavy rains in the months of January, February and March.