Heavy rains in southeast Brazil have resulted in 23 deaths

Strong rain in Brazil this weekend caused at least 23 people to die in the southeastern states of Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo.

The government of the state of Espirito Santos said on Sunday that 15 people have died and nearly 5,000 people have had to leave their homes because of the heavy rain that started on Friday night. Officials in Rio said that eight people died on Saturday.

Thirteen people died in Mimoso do Sul, a city in the countryside of Espirito Santo, which is 74 kilometers (46 miles) south of the capital Vitoria.

Both rescue teams in the states had to stop working on Friday night because of the danger of more landslides. They resumed their efforts on Saturday afternoon.

The mayors and governors of Brazil’s Southeast region have told people that there may be problems this weekend since Thursday. The government says there will be a lot of rain in Espirito Santo state until midnight.

This news story is still being updated. Come back later for more information.