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Brazil - mudslides leave families buried and hundreds dead near Rio
Survivors told yesterday how they frantically dug with their hands to try to find victims buried by a string of landslides which struck hillside communities around Rio de Janeiro, as Brazil's flood death toll climbed to more than 460.
Torrential rains early on Wednesday morning caused entire neighbourhoods to be swept away in the night, destroying roads, flattening homes, and burying families as they slept. At least 50 people and possibly many more are still missing. Ten inches of rain hit the Serrana region in less than 24 hours, leaving a total of 13,500 locals homeless.
The death toll was at 464 last night, and the worst of the disaster may be yet to come: more heavy storms are forecast to arrive over the weekend. Dramatic accounts of homes vanishing under a wall of mud and water were being shared yesterday, as reporters arrived on the scene.