17 February, Sao Paulo Landslides, heavy rains, and floods killed at least 44 people in the southeast Brazilian municipality of Petropolis in Rio de Janeiro state, according to local civil defence authorities.

Heavy rains in the mountainous city, which is 68 kilometres from Rio de Janeiro, caused more than 50 landslides on Tuesday, after it received six hours more rain than expected for the entire month, prompting the mayor’s office to declare a state of public disaster, according to the Xinhua news agency.

“It’s a war situation,” Claudio Castro, the governor of Rio de Janeiro state, said on Wednesday. “Cars on top of houses, mud, and people looking for their loved ones.”