Floods and Landslides Kill Hundreds in Brazil

By: Nsenga Burton | Posted: January 13, 2011 at 10:16 AM

Rescue workers search for victims of mudslides in Brazil.

MSNBC is reporting that floods and landslides have killed hundreds of people in Brazil. Torrential rains devastated several mountain towns near Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, killing at least 257 people as torrents of water and mud swept through the region, burying many families as they slept. The heavy rains also killed 13 people in São Paulo on Tuesday, bringing the official death toll to 270.

Hillsides and river banks in the picturesque Serrana region north of Rio buckled under the equivalent of a month's rainfall in 24 hours, destroying houses and killing many people early Wednesday, rescue officials said. The number of victims is expected to rise as rescuers reach more remote areas and find more bodies. Approximately 1,000 people are thought to be homeless. We're keeping Brazil in our prayers.

Read more at MSNBC.

In other news: Haiti Earthquake Anniversary: Road to Recovery Painfully Slow.