Brazil: Nearly 140 dead in floods in Petropolis

Rescue workers in Brazil on Saturday found new bodies under piles of mud in the southeastern city of Petropolis, which was devastated by floods and landslides that killed at least 139 people, including 26 children, authorities said.

Amid heavy fog, rescue workers continued to search using hand shovels in an attempt to find missing persons five days after the disaster.

Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro said more than 700 people had to leave their homes and take refuge in local schools and other temporary shelters, describing the damage as a battlefield.

As rescue efforts continued, the local morgue had to use a refrigeration truck to accommodate the large number of bodies received, while others were still awaiting identification by their relatives.

Heavy rains fell on Tuesday on the city of 300,000 inhabitants, located 60 km north of Rio, turning the streets into torrents of mud and causing landslides.

Petropolis received more rain than the average for an entire month of February.

E.M