At least 10 people died after landslides swept through two cities in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, government officials said.
The Bethania neighborhood in the city of Ipatinga was the most affected by mudslides caused by heavy rains.
The city mayor's office said 204 millimeters of rain fell in Ipatinga on Sunday morning.
Landslides following heavy rainfall are common in the rainy season, with neighborhoods built precariously on steep hillsides being the most affected.
The mayor of Ipatinga, Gustavo Nunes, declared a state of emergency.
At least 150 people have been left homeless in the city, located about 570 kilometers north of Rio de Janeiro.
The mayor said that the city was surprised by the heavy rain. “There was no time for people to prepare,” Nunes said.
At least nine people were confirmed dead in Ipatinga, while another body was found half an hour's drive north in Santana do Paraiso.
Local media reported that two young men were able to escape alive from a house in which five of their relatives died buried under the mud.
The health center in the city was also damaged by landslides, the health minister of Ipatinga said.
“At this time, the health center is not in a state to care for people and all patients who were here waiting to be transferred have been transferred,” Wallison Medeiros said.
He thanked neighboring cities for offering to help.
Minas Gerais Governor Romeo Zema said he would visit the affected area later on Monday.
