Death toll from floods, landslides in Brazil reaches 48

Brasilia, Feb 23

The death toll in Brazil's flood-ravaged Sao Paulo state rose to 48 as rescuers continued to search for missing people, local authorities said.

Sao Paulo's state government said 47 victims were in the municipality of Sao Sebastiao, and one was in Ubatuba, reports Xinhua news agency.

Some 40 people are still missing, and most are believed to be buried under a mountain of mud left by landslides in the state.

According to the government, three children have been rescued, and 28 people have remained hospitalized since Sunday.

The coastal region, one of the state's top tourism destinations, was battered in 24 hours by twice as much rain as February typically receives.

Brazil's Navy has set up a mobile port in the area, 190 km northeast of the city of Sao Paulo, to allow the numerous tourists stranded by impassable roads to leave.