Brazil Mudslide Death Toll is at 117, Police Say 116 Missing

The Rio de Janeiro state government confirmed the rising loss of life, with many feared buried in mud beneath the German-influenced city nestled in the mountains above the city of Rio de Janeiro.

The dead toll from the floods and landslides that wreaked havoc on the mountain city of Petropolis increased to at least 117 on Thursday, with 116 more still missing, according to local officials.

The state administration of Rio de Janeiro acknowledged the mounting death toll. Many people are believed to be buried in mud beneath the German-influenced settlement hidden in the highlands above Rio de Janeiro.

During the city's most heavy rainstorm in decades, torrents of flooding and mudslides swept automobiles and houses through the streets.

Two buses were seen sliding into a flooded river as passengers scrambled for safety through the open windows. Some people didn't make it to the banks and were washed away, hidden from view.

Even as further landslides appeared imminent on the city's hills, survivors combed across the destroyed terrain to discover loved ones.

A tiny slide caused an evacuation on Thursday, but no one was hurt. As the evening progressed, torrential rains returned to the area, renewing residents' and rescue personnel' concerns. Residents in high-risk locations were ordered to evacuate by authorities.

Rosilene Virginia' said her brother barely escaped, and she considers it a miracle. But a friend hasn't yet been found.

“It's very sad to see people asking for help and having no way of helping, no way of doing anything,” Virginia told The Associated Press as a man comforted her. “It's desperate, a feeling of loss so great.”

While some inpiduals worked to clear the muck, others began burying relatives who had passed away, with 17 funerals held at the badly damaged cemetery.

Rio police said in a statement on Thursday that about 200 agents were visiting checkpoints and shelters, as well as the city's morgue, to check lists of the alive, the dead, and the missing. They claimed they were able to remove three people from a missing persons list after discovering them alive in a nearby school.

"Every detail is important so we can track people," said Rio police investigator Elen Souto.

"We need people to inform the full name of the missing person, their ID, physical traits and the clothes that person was wearing." 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 wealth attracted residents from Rio's poorest areas, and the population developed haphazardly, clinging to mountaintops now covered in small homes packed tightly together, frequently in situations made more vulnerable by deforestation and poor drainage.

On Tuesday, the state fire service reported that 25.8 millimetres of rain fell in three hours, nearly as much as had fallen in the previous 30 days combined. Claudio Castro, the governor of Rio de Janeiro, claimed in a press conference that the rains were the worst the city had seen since 1932.

"No one could predict rain as hard as this," Castro said. More rain was expected through the rest of the week, according to weather forecasters.

Castro went on to say that about 400 people were displaced and that 24 people were found alive. They were fortunate, and there were only a few of them. Lisa Torres Machado, 64, believes her family was saved by "the hand of God."

"A little room was left at my mom's house and she hid there with my two sisters and brother," Machado, a resident of Petropolis for three decades, told the AP. "I can't sleep. I still can't believe what's happening. We lost all our friends."

Similar disasters have struck the mountainous region in recent decades, including one that killed over 900 people. Since then, Petropolis has presented a strategy to lessen the risk of landslides, but progress has been slow.

The proposal, which was published in 2017, was based on an analysis that found 18% of the city's land was at high risk of landslides and flooding. According to local authorities, more than 180 residents in high-risk regions sought refuge in schools. On Thursday, more equipment and personnel were anticipated to join the rescue mission.

While on a tour to Russia, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro voiced solidarity. The city of Petropolis has established three days of mourning in honour of the tragedy.

Heavy rains have pounded southeastern Brazil since the beginning of the year, resulting in more than 40 deaths between incidents in Minas Gerais state in early January and Sao Paulo state later that month.