Heavy Rains Kill Over 300 in Brazil

At least 361 people were killed Wednesday in Brazil after heavy rains caused floods and landslides throughout the southern region of the country. Torrents of rain and mud swept through the mountain towns outside Rio de Janeiro and killed people while they slept. The number of victims was expected to rise as rescuers began to move toward more remote areas of the mountains. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff signed a decree releasing 780 million reals ($460 million) in reconstruction funds, and she is expected to fly over the region Thursday. “There was no way of telling which house would fall. Rich or poor—everything was destroyed,” said domestic worker Fernanda Carvalho.