Seven people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, and between two and four people were missing after a flash flood in Rio de Janeiro's metropolitan region, the fire brigade said Monday.
The torrent of water, provoked by heavy rainfalls near the source of a river, multiplied the water flow five-fold and swept away people who were sunbathing near one of the river's waterfalls in the municipality of Guapimirim.
Local authorities estimated that approximately 50 people were bathing by the waterfall at the moment of the tragedy.
The river's source is located at the top of the Serra dos Orgaos National Park in a mountainous region of the state.
A common phenomenon in the country, torrents sometimes occur when the weather is clear in the lower banks of the rivers, where tourists gather.
Rescue workers were still searching for other victims.
Source:Xinhua
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