Authorities in Brazil said Thursday evening that the death toll from floods and landslides caused by torrential rains in the country's southeast had risen to at least 50, with rescue workers still digging through the rubble.
"The more time passes, the less likely it is that survivors will be found. But we always keep that in mind when we work. "There may be air pockets under the rubble," said emergency official Villas Boas to news site G1.
According to the state government of Sao Paulo, dozens of people are still missing as a result of the disaster.
Last weekend's record storms dumped more than an entire month's worth of rain on the picturesque beach resort town of Sao Sebastiao and the surrounding region in 24 hours, causing violent floods and landslides that tore through precariously built hillside communities.
Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas admitted the official weather alert system had failed to avoid the tragedy.
“We sent 2.6 million alerts by text message, but as we saw, that wasn’t effective,” he said.
“Next rainy season, there will be sirens to warn people in high-risk areas.”
An estimated 9.5 million of Brazil’s 215 million people live in areas at high risk of flooding or landslides — mainly poor favela neighbourhoods.
The South American country has been hit by a series of deadly weather disasters in recent years, which experts say are likely being made worse by climate change.