At least eighteen dead after storms in Brazil

January 1, 2010 According to reports, at least eighteen people were killed in Brazil in the past 24 hours, following heavy storms that led to mudslides and torrential rains.

Most of the deaths occurred in the Rio de Janeiro area of the country, and the local Office of Civil Defense commented that more deaths are likely as the inclement weather continues. The deaths were caused mainly because some shanty-houses collapsed under rain or mud.

In Baixada Fluminese, an area north of downtown Rio de Janeiro, about two hundred people fled their homes when three nearby rivers overflooded their banks. The storm is expected to continue through much of today, according to meteorologists.