Three dead, one missing in rainstorms in southeastern Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 19 — Three people died and one was missing in heavy rainstorms that had swept through Brazil's Sao Paulo state since Sunday, local authorities said Monday.

In the town of Franca, a 57-year-old woman drowned in floods. In the town of Sao Jose do Rio Preto, a 20-year-old fireman was swept away by strong currents while trying to retrieve a person from floodwaters.

Sao Jose do Rio Preto declared a state of emergency on Monday. In the state's capital city Sao Paulo, a woman went missing after falling into an open sewer.

Heavy rainstorms are common this time of the year in Sao Paulo. Earlier this month, a storm devastated the town of Sao Luiz do Paraitinga, destroying most of its historic buildings and forcing the evacuation of 2,000 people. (PNA/Xinhua)

ALM/mec

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