Death toll in Brazilian flooding rises to 32

Sao Paulo: Civil defense officials say the death toll in the floods and mudslides caused by heavy downpours in two states in southeastern Brazil has risen to 32. More than 50,000 have been forced to leave their homes.

The civil defense department of Minas Gerais state Wednesday says on its website that 17 people died there in floodwaters or mudslides. It says about 4,000 people were forced to seek shelter in public buildings or in the homes of friends and relatives.

In neighboring Espirito Santo state the civil defense department says on its website that 15 people were killed there and close to 50,000 people were forced from their homes by mudslides and rivers overflowing their banks.