Death toll mounts to 37 in Brazil floods

The death toll in heavy rainfall in southeast Brazil continued to mount, reaching 37 fatal victims, civil defense authorities said Sunday.

Minas Gerais state Civil Defense officials said torrential rains Friday, mainly in the capital Belo Horizonte and the metropolitan area have also left 21 people missing.

Another 12 people have been injured, while 13,687 have had to evacuate and 3,354 have been left homeless.

Gov. Romeu Zema overflew flooded areas and pledged to send humanitarian aid.

According to Brazil's National Institute of Meteorology, Belo Horizonte saw record rainfall Friday of 171.8 millimeters in just 24 hours, the highest amount of precipitation the area has seen in 110 years.