Brazil rains: São Paulo floods kill 19 and destroy homes - BBC News

At least 19 people have died in floods and landslides caused by torrential rains in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, officials say.

Nine others have been injured and many more are missing, while about 500 families have been left homeless.

São Paulo's Governor João Doria has released emergency funds after surveying the flooded areas by air.

Heavy rains since the start of the wet season have killed more than 40 people in Bahia and Minas Gerais states.

One of the worst-hit areas in São Paulo state is Franco da Rocha, where four people died in a landslide and six others were rescued.

Fire fighters and health workers worked around the clock looking for victims in the mud, but local authorities believe up to 14 people are still missing.