Brazil mudslide death toll is at least 117, with 116 still missing

Brazilian officials now say at least 117 people died in the deaths in the mountain city of Petropolis, and 116 more are missing.

Many may be trapped in mud that cascaded down on the city this week during the most intense storm in decades. Rio police say about 200 agents are visiting checkpoints and shelters to identify the living. Three of the missing were found alive at a local school. But the next days don’t look as promising.

Some people began cleaning up on Thursday even as others buried relatives at the partially destroyed cemetery.

Rosilene Virginia who said her brother barely escaped said it was a miracle, “It’s very sad to see people asking for help and having no way of helping, no way of doing anything.” She said, “It’s desperate, a feeling of loss so great.”
 
There were at least 17 funerals happening at one damaged cemetery.

Elen Souto, an investigator with the Rio police said, “Every detail is important so we can track people.” Suoto said, “We need people to inform the full name of the missing person, their ID, physical traits and the clothes that person was wearing.”