10 dead in Rio mudslide, search on for survivors
Rescuers are searching for survivors from a Brazilian landslide that killed 10 people, including at least one child.
The incident happened in Rio de Janeiro state in the early hours of Saturday, following two days of heavy downpour.
A boulder slid down a slope and hit a group of houses in the city of Niteroi, according to the local fire service. Volunteers have joined firefighters and law enforcement, creating a bucket chain to clear mud and debris.
The Globo news network said the group was working in silence so they could hear any victims that might be under the earth.
Rescuers have been working without pause for at least 24 hours. Local media said at least 11 people have been rescued so far, including at least two children. The majority were reportedly found with the help of sniffer dogs.
A number of homes and a pizzeria are said to have been hit by the landslide, local media reported.
Landslides and floods are prone to happen in Brazil – the most deadly was in 2011, when whole hillsides collapsed after heavy rain, killing almost 1,000 people in Rio de Janeiro state.
Roberto Robadey, the head of Rio’s civil defence department, told the Globo TV network that the mudslide was caused by heavy downpours.
“It rained a lot over the past two days and a state of alert was declared for Niteroi,” he said. “People were advised of the situation and were recommended to move to safer locations.” But Claudio dos Santos, president of the Boa Esperança residents’ association, said several families “refused to leave”.
The Rio fire department said the dead included a three-yearold boy, two elderly women and a middle-aged man. It did not give any more information about the victims.
Rosemary Caetano da Silva, a resident of Boa Esperança, said her eight-year-old granddaughter was buried underneath the rubble. She also said she managed to rescue her grandson, who was taken to a hospital.
Heavy storms are common during the Brazilian spring and summer. Landslides can often be fatal due to terrain and irregular construction on hillsides.
In 2010, around 300 landslides in the hills of Rio killed more than 250 people.