Devastating floods and landslides in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state have killed at least 37 people.
The country’s emergency services made this known on Sunday in reports by local media.
Another 25 people were missing and a dozen injured by the severe weather, which forced more than 13,000 residents to leave their homes.
The state government has a declared a state of emergency in 47 towns and cities, including the regional capital Belo Horizonte.
Authorities warned there was a risk of further landslides, which have already washed away several apartment buildings.
In one instance, a family of five who left their Belo Horizonte apartment during the torrential rains and floods were buried after moving back to their home on Friday evening. None of them survived.
According to the Brazilian weather service Inmet, the heaviest rains in 110 years have been recorded in Belo Horizonte. On Friday, 171.8 litres of rain per square metre fell within 24 hours.
A mining dam in Barao de Cocais, 50 kilometres east of Belo Horizonte, was being closely monitored. The rains have caused some inner structural damage but the overall dam remains stable, mining company Vale said.
One year ago a dam operated by Vale ruptured in Brumadinho, located in Minas Gerais state, unleashing a sea of toxic sludge and killing 270 people. (dpa/NAN)
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