117 dead and more than 100 still missing after deadly Brazil mudslide

Torrents of floodwaters and mudslides dragged cars and houses through the streets of the city on Tuesday during the most intense rainfall in decades

A resident stands on property destroyed by mudslides (AP)

The death toll from floods and landslides that swept down on the Brazilian mountain city of Petropolis has risen to at least 117, with 116 more still unaccounted for.

The Rio de Janeiro state government confirmed the rising loss of life, with many feared buried in mud beneath the German-influenced city nestled in the mountains above the city of Rio de Janeiro.