Rio, December 9, 2002 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - At least 30 people are officially dead in Angra dos Reis, in the south of the state, according to the Civil Defense of Rio de Janeiro, as a result of landslides caused by heavy rains. The areas most affected are Perequê and Areal, with the largest number of victims. 309 people are reported to have lost their homes and are being sheltered in municipal schools and condominiums in the region. The Civil Defense has already sent 300 blankets and 300 mattresses for the homeless. The mayor of Angra, Fernando Jordão, declared a state of public disaster in the city.

The governor of Rio, Benedita da Silva, offered all of the state government's resources to help the Angra dos Reis municipal government combat the effects of the intense rains that have been falling on the region since last night. (DAS)