At least 58 people have died after torrential rains caused catastrophic mudslides in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.
The city of Petropolis bore the brunt of the damage from the floods after more than 10 inches of rain (25.8cm) fell over the mountainous region in the span of three hours on Tuesday.
Officials have warned the death toll could climb dramatically as search and rescue crews continue digging through the wreckage.
Stunning images showed entire homes being swept away by rivers of mud that tore through communities knocking down everything in their wake.
“It was like an avalanche, it fell all at once. I’ve never seen anything like it,” on resident told the Associated Press.
“Every neighbor has lost a loved one, has lost two, three, four members of the same family, kids.”
Governor Claudio Castro said he is working with other localities to bring in as much rescue equipment as possible.
