Death toll reaches 204 from landslides, floods in Brazil; 51 still missing

The death toll from mudslides and floods in the Brazilian city of Petropolis, in southeast Rio de Janeiro state, rose to 204, authorities said.

According to the police, at least 51 people remained missing as rescue efforts continued to retrieve victims from the mountains of mud that buried homes on Wednesday.

A spokesman for the Fire Department of the state of Rio de Janeiro said search and rescue efforts were suspended on Wednesday due to storms in the area, Xinhua news agency reported.

On February 15, Petropolis, a city located 68 km from Rio de Janeiro, was slammed with heavy rains that caused more than 50 mudslides and floods.

Petropolis, a historic tourism hub in Brazil, still has 810 evacuees who have been living in school shelters for the past week.

--IANS

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