Mudslides Kill 500 in Brazil

Posted on Jan 14, 2011

AP / Felipe Dana

The Brazilian mountain town of Teresopolis is among the hardest hit by this week’s flooding and mudslides.

More than 500 people have been killed in the mountain towns of Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state, with officials fearing that the toll will go higher as massive flooding and mudslides continue in the region.  —JCL

CNN:

It was like a tsunami from the sky in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state as flood water gushed through hill towns and giant boulders catapulted from hillsides instantly crushing cars and houses.

Conditions were so treacherous that rescue teams called it quits Thursday night and resumed their search and recovery work Friday morning.

More than 500 people have been killed and officials at the Ministry of Civil Defense fear that number will escalate. Rescuers have not been able to reach some hard-hit areas that have become virtually isolated or buried under earth, the official Agencia Brasil news agency said.

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