Rio de Janeiro_(dpa) _ Heavy rain, with the resulting floods and landslides, has caused the deaths of at least 50 people in one week in south-eastern Brazil.

Brazilian media reported on Monday, quoting civil protection sources, that the search continues for several people who remain missing. Scores of cities and villages have decreed the state of emergency over the past few days.

The number of dead rose to 28 in the state of Rio de Janeiro alone, according to the media, while 20 people have died in Minas Gerais.

The press reported that numerous shanties in the hillsides of Rio de Janeiro were literally washed off the hillside.

Around 20,000 people are said to have been left homeless in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo and Espirito Santo. Traffic became impossible in many important roads, and there is fear of possible illnesses and epidemics.

The central government in Brasilia announced in turn its decision to free 57 million real (around 26 million dollars) to help the victims of the catastrophe.

Meteorologists warned on Monday about the possibility of more rainfall in the region in the next few days. The situation contrasts with the extreme drought that is currently affecting the Brazilian North-East, where 76 towns have called the state of emergency only in the state of Piaui, according to media reports. dpa er vs pr