Authorities say mudslide kills at least 17 people in Brazil island resort after New Year party

Mudslide kills 17 people in Brazil island resort

ANGRA DOS REIS, Brazil — A rain-loosened slab of hillside collapsed on three houses and an upscale waterfront lodge after New Year celebrations at an island resort near Rio de Janeiro, killing at least 17 people, Brazilian authorities said.

About 120 rescuers scrambled through mud and around toppled trees and large rocks to search for other survivors of the mudslide that also injured at least 10 people early Friday. Police helicopters and navy vessels were helping in the rescue efforts.

Ten people died earlier in the day from another mudslide elsewhere in the city of Angra dos Reis,and local authorities said nearly 80 mudslides were reported throughout the region, toppling trees and destroying power lines.

Rain-related deaths in Rio de Janeiro state from three days of heavy rains reached 47, officials said, and more rain was predicted across the region.

“People had never seen so much rain in this region,” Rio de Janeiro’s vice governor, Luiz Fernando Pezao, told Globo TV.

Pezao indicated he feared the death toll could rise. “We’ll have to wait for the rescue efforts, but we’ll likely encounter a very sad outcome.”

The mudslide at the Pousada Sankay resort apparently happened after tourists had returned to their rooms following the New Year’s celebration at the lodge on Ilha Grande, a 90-minute ferry ride from Angra dos Reis on the mainland, fire department commander Pedro Machado said. He said at least 17 people died.

Globo TV reported that a boy and a teenage girl were among the victims, but authorities could not immediately confirm the information.

Police said some of the dead may have been in the houses. They did not immediately release the identities or nationalities of the victims.

“We were told that many of these houses here were rented by tourists for the holidays,” Pezao said.

A bulldozer was brought in to help in the search for survivors. Bodies recovered from the rubble were being transported off the island by boats and helicopters.

Witnesses told local media the hillside lodge and the houses, which can only be accessed by boat, collapsed after being struck by a slab of earth nearly 300 meters (330 yards) wide.

A broad, raw scar of dirt remained on the jungle hillside above the lodge, which was smashed by mud, trees and other vegetation. Only a handful of houses and small patches of vegetation were left unscathed.

Wooden pieces of the lodge were seen floating near the shore and on the beach.

The hotel, which advertises nightly rates of about $200 and can accommodate 50 guests, was reportedly full. The lodge was inaugurated in 1994, according to its Web site.

Other mudslides killed 20 people across Rio de Janeiro state Thursday, mostly in shanties collapsed under mud or rain in the greater Rio de Janeiro city area. A 3-year-old girl died in a hospital Friday after being rescued from one of the mudslides a day earlier. Her parents also died.

Local officials in Angra dos Reis declared three days of mourning and canceled the city’s annual celebration scheduled for Wednesday.

Associated Press writers Felipe Dana reported this story from Angra dos Reis and Tales Azzoni from Sao Paulo.