SAO PAULO: A rain-loosened slab of hillside collapsed on three houses and an upscale lodge after New Year celebrations at a resort city near Rio de Janeiro, killing at least 15 people, Brazilian authorities said. About 120 rescuers scrambled through mud and around toppled trees and large rocks to search for survivors of the mudslide that also injured at least 10 people early Friday. Police helicopters and navy vessels were helping in the rescue efforts.
The mudslide apparently happened after tourists had returned to their rooms following the New Year’s celebration in the lodge on an island off the city of Angra dos Reis, said fire department commander Pedro Machado, who reported at least 15 people had died. Police said some of the dead may have been in the houses.
They did not immediately release the identities or nationalities of the victims. Witnesses told local media the hillside lodge and the houses, which can only be accessed by boat, collapsed after being struck by a slab of land nearly 300 meters wide.
