Rescuers are searching for survivors¹ in the Rio de Janiero area of Brazil after landslides² and floods left at least 110 people dead.

巴西城市里约热内卢日前发生泥石流和洪涝灾害，造成至少110人死亡，目前救援人员正在全力搜救生还者。

Officials said the toll³ could rise as many people are missing in the wake of the heaviest downpours（倾盆大雨） in four decades.

The mayor of Rio has urged people in high-risk areas to evacuate⁴（疏散，撤离） their homes as officials warned that 10,000 houses remained at risk from landslides.

Forecasters say the rain will continue, but with less intensity⁵（强度） than before.

"The city is starting to return to normal, but the rains are still intense," Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes told reporters early on Wednesday.

He said 4,000 families had been made homeless and that 10,000 houses remained at risk, mostly in the slums where about a fifth of Rio's people live.

Aid packages

Most of those who died over the past two days were people who lived in favelas（贫民窟） (shanty棚屋，下等酒馆 towns), where many houses were buried under mudslides.

The authorities on Wednesday raised the death toll（死亡人数） to at least 110 people.

They said at least 43 were killed in Rio de Janeiro city after 28cm (11in) of rain fell in 24 hours, but the neighbouring city of Niteroi was the hardest hit, with 60 deaths.

Health workers will distribute 70,000 aid packages to the victims of the floods, which have caused widespread devastation⁶ in the state of Rio de Janeiro, officials said.

The kits⁷（装备，锦囊） will contain food, clothes and medical supplies for those left homeless or cut off from the outside world because of flooding and mudslides.

The Brazilian government has also announced an emergency programme to re-build homes for families who lost their houses.

Mayor Paes said road conditions had improved, but he urged people not to travel.

"All the major streets of the city are closed because of the floods," said Mr Paes. "Each and every person who attempts to enter them will be at enormous risk."

The flooding disrupted most international flights in and out of Rio's main airport and forced the cancellation⁸ of many domestic services.

All schools and many businesses were closed on Wednesday, but several government offices have re-opened.