Southeastern Brazil has been buried under a series of mudslides that have killed at least 370 people in the towns of Nova Friburgo, Teresopolis, and Petropolis. The death toll is expected to be much higher, but heavy rain is hampering the efforts of the 800 rescue workers deployed to help victims and recover bodies. The governor of Rio de Janeiro, Sergio Cabral, has blamed local governments for failing to control illegal housing and overcrowding in the region’s slums. President Dilma Rouseff has called a state of emergency and has allocated $480 million in emergency aid.
tags:Brazil