Brazil flood death toll rise fears

The death toll from floods and mudslides in Brazil is reported to be nearing 500.

Rescue workers have been digging for survivors but are struggling to reach areas cut off after one of the deadliest natural disasters in decades hit the country.

Torrents of mud and water set off by heavy rains has left a trail of destruction through the mountainous Serrana region near Rio de Janeiro.

Houses have been toppled and roads have buckled while entire families were buried as they slept.

"It's like an earthquake struck some areas," said Jorge Mario, the mayor of Teresopolis, where more than 200 people were killed and scores more are feared to be dead.

Hillsides and riverbanks in the area, about 60 miles north of Rio, collapsed after the equivalent of a month's rain fell in 24 hours from Tuesday night.

More heavy rain is forecast, complicating rescue efforts and raising the risk of further mudslides.

The homes of rich and poor alike were swept away in and around Teresopolis and other towns, likely causing billions of dollars in damage. But the brunt of the disaster was borne by poorer rural residents in houses built in risky areas without formal planning permission.

The floods have not affected Brazil's main export crops - soy, sugar cane, oranges and coffee - but could push up local food prices further as the small Serrana region is an important producer of fruit and vegetables for the Rio area.

Rio, famed for its beaches and carnival, will co-host football's World Cup in 2014 and host the Olympics in 2016.

In Nova Friburgo, a rural town first settled by Swiss immigrants, at least 200 people died, local officials said.

President Dilma Rousseff, facing her first major challenge since taking office on January 1, called the disaster a tragedy that could not be blamed only on nature.

"Housing in areas of risk is the rule in Brazil rather than the exception," she said in Rio after flying over the flooded region and visiting Nova Friburgo, where much of the damage was done to homes built precariously at the base of steep hills.

Rousseff has earmarked 780 million reais (£290 million) in emergency aid for the region. The government said it was sending 210 troops from the National Public Security Force to help identify bodies.

Landslides and flash floods are common in much of Brazil, often exposing poor urban planning and a lack of preventive action by authorities.

Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper said it was the worst natural disaster to hit Brazil in four decades.