The death toll from floods in the Brazilian city of Petropolis in the hills above Rio de Janeiro rose to 34 Wednesday morning, local authorities reported.
"As of this morning, 34 deaths have been confirmed," said the mayor's office after the extreme rains of Tuesday afternoon in the ancient city, 68 kilometres (42 miles) north of Rio.
Earlier, Brazilian firefighters said landslides and flooding triggered by heavy rainfall killed at least 18 people Tuesday in a tourist town in the hills above Rio de Janeiro.
"So far, 18 deaths caused by landslides and floods have been confirmed" in recent hours, the Rio de Janeiro Fire Department said in a statement.
It said more than 180 firefighters were at the scene in the picturesque hill town where Brazil's last emperor Pedro II is buried, 68 kilometres (42 miles) north of the city of Rio.
