Brazil, death toll rises in flooding
In Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state, 349 deaths were reported
At least 24 people have died in Sao Paulo state
It's been raining in the region since January 1
(CNN) -- Several hundred people have died in heavy rains and flooding in Brazil, civil defense officials said Thursday.
At least 349 people were killed in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state. The death toll is now 168 in Nova Friburgo, 146 in Teresopolis, and 35 in Petropolis.
Teresopolis Mayor Jorge Mario Sedlacek declared his city a natural disaster area.
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In the state of Sao Paulo, at least 24 people were dead as heavy rain continued to batter parts of the state, authorities said.
Brazil slammed with rains and flooding
Sao Jose dos Campos, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the city of Sao Paulo, has been hardest hit by the flooding, a Sao Paulo fire official said.
It has been raining since January 1, and the deluge could continue until the end of the week, forecasters have said. Flooding has caused mudslides. In January last year, heavy rains caused dozens of deaths in Brazil's southeast coast.
Torrential rains caused deadly mudslides in the resort area of the town of Angra dos Reis.
