Landslides kill at least 10

At least 10 people have died after floods hit two cities in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state, officials said.

The area of ​​Bethania in the city of Ipatinga was the most affected by mudslides caused by heavy rains.

The mayor’s office said 204mm (8in) of rain fell in Ipatinga on Sunday morning.

Landslides caused by storms are not uncommon during the rainy season, and neighborhoods built on hillsides are often the most affected.

Ipatinga Mayor Gustavo Nunes declared a state of emergency.

About 150 people have been displaced in the city, which is located 570 kilometers north of Rio de Janeiro.

The mayor said the city was shocked by the heavy rain. “There was no time for people to prepare,” Nunes said.

At least nine people are confirmed dead in Ipatinga, while another body was found half an hour’s drive north in Santana do Paraíso.

Local journalists said two young people managed to escape alive from the house where five of their siblings died after being buried in mud.

Health facilities in the city were also damaged by the landslide, said the Minister of Health in Ipatinga.

“Right now, the hospitals are not helping people and all the patients who were here waiting to be transferred have been transferred,” said Walisson Medeiros.

He praised the neighboring cities for their willingness to help them.

The governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema, said he would visit the affected areas on Monday.