Floods and landslides killed 257 people in Brazil

At least 257 people were killed when heavy rains caused floods and landslides in many mountain towns of Brazil yesterday.

Cars in the middle of mud in the town of Teresopolis, Rio de Raneiro state, Brazil on January 12. (Photo: AP).

Heavy storms hit Rio de Janeiro state in southeastern Brazil on January 11 and caused heavy rain. Although storms have melted from the morning, heavy rain continues to fall afterwards, causing flash floods and landslides in towns.

Officials of Teresopolis - 65 km north of the capital Rio de Raneiro - announced that 130 people were killed in the past 24 hours. In the town of Nova Friburgo, the death toll is 107, of which four firefighters are tasked to evacuate people. 20 others died in Petropolis, AP reported.

Thousands of water wading people go to higher areas with furniture they can carry. Rescue workers use heavy machines, shovels and hands to search for victims of landslides. The number of deaths increased as rescuers arrived in villages deep in the mountains. Officials do not know exactly how many people have been saved, but at least 50 people are missing and people are worried that the number may increase.

People evacuated because of flood water in the city of Sao Paolo. (Photo: AP).

Telecommunication services and power lines in the area are paralyzed, so many people do not know the information of their relatives.

" A lot of people are missing and maybe people will never find them. We can't do anything. The situation is scary now ," said a woman named Angela Marina de Carvalho Silva. This believes that her 15 relatives were dead or missing due to floodwaters.

Carvalho Silva hid in the house of a neighbor with her husband and daughter. They saw floodwaters swept away cars, tree branches, animals and roofs.'Water comes down and carries everything. We have nothing left , 'said Sidney Silva's husband.

More than 300 people in southeastern Brazil have died from natural disasters since Christmas.