Landslides in Brazil: At least 65 fatalities and people buried in mud

At least 65 people have now died as a result of landslides that occurred in coastal towns in Brazil's state of São Paulo. There are still people missing, while among the victims there are many kids. To search the mud for survivors, locals have teamed up with rescuers.

After a record amount of rain fell in the coastal region east of São Paulo, more than 4000 individuals lost their homes due to floods of earth and rock that burst loose from hillsides. A two-ton boulder struck a girl's home and killed her. A tree that was falling struck another woman. The majority of the remaining people were buried in the mud that slid down the mountainside.

According to meteorologists, the municipality of Bertioga received more than 680mm (26 inches) of rain in one day. A cold front with a mix of extremely particular characteristics, according to meteorologist Marcelo Seluchi, generated an "extreme and historic" weather event, including severe rains as well as huge swells that made it difficult for any of the rain to drain away.

The force of the water that came crashing down could not be supported by many of the temporary dwellings constructed on steep hillsides. According to estimations, more than nine million Brazilians reside in areas vulnerable to mudslides or flooding. Several others evacuated their homes to seek shelter in stronger structures as more torrential rain was predicted to fall in the coming days.

Families looking to unwind by the seaside have made the neighborhood particularly crowded throughout the carnival season. Visitors have been urged to go home after some of the landslide-made impassable roads were removed.

In Brazil, landslides and flooding are frequent occurrences. When torrential rains created mudslides in the historic town of Petrópolis, north of Rio de Janeiro, more than 230 people died last year.