Southeast Brazil Battered By Downpours, Over A Dozen Killed

Members of the Civil Defense, firefighters and local residents work to rescue victims of heavy rains in Petropolis, Brazil (Credit: AFP)

A powerful storm has claimed at least 13 lives in southeastern Brazil, particularly in the mountainous parts of Rio de Janeiro state, where authorities on Saturday deployed rescue teams to deal with a "critical" situation.

The deluge came as Brazil, South America's largest country, suffers through a string of extreme weather events, which experts say become more likely due to climate change.