4 dead, 4 missing due to heavy rains in southeastern Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least four people have died in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais and another four are missing due to strong rains that lashed the region in recent days, leaving 14 municipalities in a state of emergencies.

The Minas Gerais firefighters on Friday found the body of a man in the Casca river, 30km from where they began searching for him after he was signalled as missing. Rains began last Saturday and have caused numerous floods and collapses in the region.

The other victims are an 80-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy, who died in floods across the state. Since early October, flooding has killed at least seven people in Minas Gerais.

Four other people are missing, including a seven-year-old boy and his grandfather, who were swept away by a river last Sunday in the town of Urucania, along with another man. The final missing victim also vanished below the water on Sunday in the town of Vespasiano.

On Thursday, President Michel Temer met with mayors from across the state to evaluate the situation and discuss rapid response plans. Enditem