http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47597000/jpg/_47597138_rio-flood3.jpgTorrential rains have claimed the lives of 79 people and wreaked havoc in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47597000/jpg/_47597139_riolandslideafp766.jpgMany of the victims in the city of Rio de Janeiro, including a five-month-old baby, died in landslides.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47597000/jpg/_47597140_riofloodingafp766.jpgRio’s governor has declared a state of emergency while the city’s mayor has told people to stay indoors.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47597000/jpg/_47597141_elevado.jpgBBC News website reader Antonio Queiroz Junior, who lives in the city, sent in these pictures, describing the situation as “the worst storm in decades”.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47597000/jpg/_47597142_rio-flood6.jpgMr Queiroz Junior said it started raining after 1700 local time on Monday, in the middle of rush hour, and had not stopped since.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47597000/jpg/_47597143_rio-flood.jpgWith the transport system close to collapse and many main roads submerged, people used any means possible to get around on Tuesday.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47597000/jpg/_47597144_riolandslideap766.jpgPresident Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva blamed local officials for not enforcing adequate building standards in areas prone to landslides, particularly in Rio de Janeiro’s shantytowns.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47597000/jpg/_47597145_riofloodingafp7663.jpgRio de Janeiro state has experienced a particularly hot and rainy summer this year, and meteorologists are forecasting more rain in the coming days.
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