Heavy Rio de Janeiro rains kill at least 11 people

Children carry belongings in a flooded area after heavy rains hit Rio de Janeiro, in Pedreira complex slums, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, January 14, 2024. REUTERS

RIO DE JANEIRO — Heavy rains that buffeted Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state this weekend have killed at least 11 people, according to the state fire service.

The rains flooded streets, the capital city’s metro line and peoples’ homes, bringing down trees and causing landslides.

READ: Brazilians, battered by tropical cyclone, begin to rebuild their lives

Rio’s Mayor Eduardo Paes announced a state of emergency while President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government offered federal support.

Firefighters are still looking for one woman who is missing after her vehicle fell into a river.