FLOODING and landslides have killed 36 people in Brazil’s north Sao Paulo state, and the authorities say the death toll from the floods, caused by heavy rainfall, 23.6 inches in one day, may well rise.

Sao Paulo state government said that 35 people died in the city of Sao Sebastiao and a seven-year-old girl had been killed in neighbouring Ubatuba.

It is carnival time in Brazil, but the cities of Sao Sebastiao, Ubatuba, Ilhabela and Bertioga, some of the hardest hit, cancelled their festivities as rescue teams struggled to find survivors in the rubble.

Mayor of Sao Sebastiao Felipe Augusto said: “Our rescue teams are not managing to get to several locations: it is a chaotic situation.”

He posted several videos of destruction in his city on social media, including one of a baby being rescued by locals lined up on a flooded street.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva was set to visit the region today.

The affected northern coast of Sao Paulo state is a frequent carnival destination for tourists who prefer to stay away from the massive street parties in Brazil’s big cities.