Death toll from flooding in Brazil rises, Lula visits disaster-hit region

 The death toll from devastating rainfall in southeastern Brazil rose to 40 on Monday, official figures showed, as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited the region and said homes should no longer be built in areas at risk of landslides and major floods.

Authorities in the state of Sao Paulo said on Monday four more people had been killed in addition to 36 tallied a day earlier, but more casualties were still expected to be reported as three dozen people remained missing.

Lula flew over the coastal town of Sao Sebastiao alongside Cabinet ministers and pledged to help rebuild the town of some 91,000 people by constructing new houses in safer places.