Heavy rains kill at least 30 in Brazil

A view is seen of a landslide in Petropolis, near Rio de Janeiro, in this filephoto provided by Agencia Brasil March 19, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

RIO DE JANEIRO - The death toll from torrential downpours lashing the mountain areas of Southeast Brazil has reached 30, Civil Defense authorities said Thursday.

Rescue workers found two more bodies that had been buried by a landslide in Petropolis of Rio de Janeiro state, and two people were still missing, the authorities said.

Rescuers were searching for the missing in another area where a landslide buried several homes.

Latest report from the Civil Defense said 44 people were injured because of the heavy rains, and three of them in critical condition.

As many as 1,234 local residents were displaced, either because of the risk of more landslides or their badly damaged houses.

Petropolis, a mountain resort with a distance of 70 km from Rio and home to 300,000 inhabitants, was hit hard by torrential rains on Sunday and Monday.