Death Toll from Brazilian Mudslides Rises

Recent flooding is the worst in recent memory and has left 475 people dead.

Rickety houses on mountainsides north of Rio de Janeiro stood little chance against torrential rains that triggered mudslides in the region this week, which have decimated neighbourhoods and killed at least 475 people. Residents of the jungle city of Teresopolis were using anything they could find, including kitchen utensils and their bare hands, to dig for survivors in the thick mud as they waited for help. Many people were buried by the mudslides as they slept following heavy rains on Wednesday. More than 14,000 people have been left homeless and some have been moved to shelters, while officials fear waterborne diseases like leptospirosis will cause a second disaster.