Authorities in Rio de Janeiro state said 58 people were killed in flash floods and mudslides that followed heavy overnight rain. The mayor of the mountain town of Teresopolis, just north of the city of Rio de Janeiro, said in a statement Wednesday that 48 people died and more than 1,000 have been left homeless. Rio state authorities said eight died in the neighboring town of Nova Friburgo, including four firefighters, and two people were killed in Petropolis. The death toll is expected to rise as officials reach steep mountainsides and destroyed valleys in the state, located along Brazil's southern Atlantic coast. Rio Governor Sergio Cabral said he asked the navy to lend helicopters to rescue workers.
