Brazil mudslides kill at least 94, with dozens still missing

Rubens Bomtempo, mayor of the city nestled in the mountains, didn't even offer an estimate for the number of people missing, with recovery efforts still ongoing

Rio de Janeiro state government has confirmed 94 deaths from floods and mudslides that swept away homes and cars in the city of Petropolis. But even as families prepared to bury their bodies, it was unclear on February 17 how many bodies remained trapped in the mud.

Rubens Bomtempo, mayor of the German-influenced city nestled in the mountains, didn't even offer an estimate for the number of people missing, with recovery efforts still ongoing.

“We don't yet know the full scale of this,” Mr. Bomtempo said at a news conference on Wednesday. “It was a hard day, a difficult day.” More than 24 hours after the deadly deluge early Tuesday, survivors were digging to find the lost loved ones. Rio de Janeiro's public prosecutors' office said in a statement on Wednesday night that it had compiled a list of 35 people yet to be located.

Footage posted on social media showed torrents dragging cars and houses through the streets and water swirling through the city. One video showed two buses sinking into a swollen river as its passengers clambered out the windows, scrambling for safety. Some didn't make it to the banks and were washed away, out of sight. On Wednesday morning, houses were left buried beneath mud while appliances and cars were in piles on the streets.

Petropolis, named for a former Brazilian emperor, has been a refuge for people escaping the summer heat and tourists keen to explore the so-called “Imperial City.” Its prosperity has also drawn poorer residents from Rio's poorer regions. Its population grew haphazardly, climbing mountainsides now covered with small residences packed tightly together. Many are in areas unfit for structures and made more vulnerable by deforestation and inadequate drainage.

The state fire department said 25.8 centimetres (just over 10 inches) of rain fell within three hours on Tuesday — almost as much as during the previous 30 days combined. Rio de Janeiro's Governor Claudio Castro said in a press conference that the rains were the worst Petropolis has received since 1932.