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13 January 2011
Last updated at 08:23 ET
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Heavy rain is disrupting rescue efforts in some areas
More than 350 people have now been killed by flooding and mudslides in south-east Brazil, say officials.
In the mountain towns of Nova Friburgo, Teresopolis and Petropolis, the reported death tolls are at least 168, 152 and 36 respectively, Brazilian media reported.
Rescuers are bringing helicopters in as the search for survivors continues in the region north of Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil has seen severe flooding in recent years, affecting thousands.
Heavy rain began falling again early on Thursday as rescuers began their search and is expected to continue throughout much of the day.
Brazil's civil defence department has not yet confirmed the higher death toll, but officials there have said they believe there could be hundreds more bodies yet to be recovered in Teresopolis alone, the Globo media organisation reported.
Searches continued overnight in Nova Friburgo and Teresopolis, and resumed at daybreak on Thursday in Petropolis, Globo reported.
One area of Teresopolis remains cuts off entirely and is yet to be reached by any rescuers.
One resident of the town, Angela Marina de Carvalho Silva, told AP news agency she feared she might have lost 15 relatives, including five nieces and nephews.
"There are so many disappeared - and so many that will probably never be found," she said.
She said she had taken refuge at a neighbour's house on higher ground and watched the water sweep away cars, tree branches and animals and destroy the homes of friends and family.
"There was nothing we could do. It was hell."
Sixteen more bodies were found in the town early on Thursday, but the most dramatic rise was in Nova Friburgo, where 48 more people were reported to have died.
Amid the death and destruction in Nova Friburgo there was one glimmer of hope: a six-month-old baby, reportedly named Nicholas, was found alive after 12 hours trapped in the rubble of a ruined building, reports said.
In Petropolis, Mayor Paul Mustrangi said the waters had ripped through some areas with devastating effect.
"What happened here was worse than what happened in 2008. There is nothing left. All the houses were hit," he told Jornal do Brasil.
'Huge catastrophe' With many people still missing, it is feared the death toll could rise even further and there is concern about water-borne diseases.
More than 800 rescue workers are conducting searches in the area. The Brazilian navy has offered helicopters to fly in equipment and personnel.
Witnesses said rescue teams were using heavy machinery, shovels and their bare hands to dig through tonnes of mud and debris.
President Dilma Rousseff is due to fly over the area on Thursday to inspect the damage. On Wednesday she signed a decree authorising 780m reais ($480m, £296m) in emergency funding for the affected areas.
Earlier this week, torrential rains in neighbouring Sao Paulo state left 13 people dead and brought traffic chaos to Brazil's biggest city.
In Teresopolis, a river burst its banks, submerging buildings, while the rainfall set off several mudslides.
"It's a huge catastrophe, a major disaster," Teresopolis Mayor Jorge Mario Sedlacek told Globo television.
TV footage showed homes destroyed and cars submerged.
Civil defence officials in Teresopolis said that the city was soaked with 144mm of rain in 24 hours - more than the usual amount for the whole of January.
Power and telephone lines are down in the three towns, and there is no drinking water, officials say.
Major roads have been cut by floods and landslides, adding traffic chaos to the challenges facing state officials.
One resident described the situation just outside Petropolis as a "sea of mud".
"I've lived here 25 years and never seen anything like it," Manoel Candido da Rocha Sobrinho told Folha website.
"I live in a higher spot but when I look down I just see a sea of mud. Most people saved themselves by scrambling up trees or fleeing to higher ground."
Are you in the area? Have you been affected by the flooding? You can send us your stories and experiences using the form below.
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.
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Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.Heavy rain is disrupting rescue efforts in some areas
More than 350 people have now been killed by flooding and mudslides in south-east Brazil, say officials.
In the mountain towns of Nova Friburgo, Teresopolis and Petropolis, the reported death tolls are at least 168, 152 and 36 respectively, Brazilian media reported.
Rescuers are bringing helicopters in as the search for survivors continues in the region north of Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil has seen severe flooding in recent years, affecting thousands.
Heavy rain began falling again early on Thursday as rescuers began their search and is expected to continue throughout much of the day.
Brazil's civil defence department has not yet confirmed the higher death toll, but officials there have said they believe there could be hundreds more bodies yet to be recovered in Teresopolis alone, the Globo media organisation reported.
Searches continued overnight in Nova Friburgo and Teresopolis, and resumed at daybreak on Thursday in Petropolis, Globo reported.
One area of Teresopolis remains cuts off entirely and is yet to be reached by any rescuers.
One resident of the town, Angela Marina de Carvalho Silva, told AP news agency she feared she might have lost 15 relatives, including five nieces and nephews.
"There are so many disappeared - and so many that will probably never be found," she said.
She said she had taken refuge at a neighbour's house on higher ground and watched the water sweep away cars, tree branches and animals and destroy the homes of friends and family.
"There was nothing we could do. It was hell."
Sixteen more bodies were found in the town early on Thursday, but the most dramatic rise was in Nova Friburgo, where 48 more people were reported to have died.
Amid the death and destruction in Nova Friburgo there was one glimmer of hope: a six-month-old baby, reportedly named Nicholas, was found alive after 12 hours trapped in the rubble of a ruined building, reports said.
In Petropolis, Mayor Paul Mustrangi said the waters had ripped through some areas with devastating effect.
"What happened here was worse than what happened in 2008. There is nothing left. All the houses were hit," he told Jornal do Brasil.
'Huge catastrophe' With many people still missing, it is feared the death toll could rise even further and there is concern about water-borne diseases.
More than 800 rescue workers are conducting searches in the area. The Brazilian navy has offered helicopters to fly in equipment and personnel.
Witnesses said rescue teams were using heavy machinery, shovels and their bare hands to dig through tonnes of mud and debris.
President Dilma Rousseff is due to fly over the area on Thursday to inspect the damage. On Wednesday she signed a decree authorising 780m reais ($480m, £296m) in emergency funding for the affected areas.
Earlier this week, torrential rains in neighbouring Sao Paulo state left 13 people dead and brought traffic chaos to Brazil's biggest city.
In Teresopolis, a river burst its banks, submerging buildings, while the rainfall set off several mudslides.
"It's a huge catastrophe, a major disaster," Teresopolis Mayor Jorge Mario Sedlacek told Globo television.
TV footage showed homes destroyed and cars submerged.
Civil defence officials in Teresopolis said that the city was soaked with 144mm of rain in 24 hours - more than the usual amount for the whole of January.
Power and telephone lines are down in the three towns, and there is no drinking water, officials say.
Major roads have been cut by floods and landslides, adding traffic chaos to the challenges facing state officials.
One resident described the situation just outside Petropolis as a "sea of mud".
"I've lived here 25 years and never seen anything like it," Manoel Candido da Rocha Sobrinho told Folha website.
"I live in a higher spot but when I look down I just see a sea of mud. Most people saved themselves by scrambling up trees or fleeing to higher ground."
Are you in the area? Have you been affected by the flooding? You can send us your stories and experiences using the form below.
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.
Read the terms and conditions
Webmaster Forum | SEO Forum | Coding Forum | Graphics Forum</b>