Brazil mudslides from torrential rains kill at least 38

Rescue workers in an area damaged by landslides in Petropolis, Brazil (Silvia Izquierdo/AP)

The death toll from devastating mudslides and floods that swept through a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state has reached 38, local authorities said on Wednesday.

The city of Petropolis was struck by a deluge on Tuesday, and Mayor Rubens Bomtempo said the number of dead could rise as searchers picked through the wreckage.