Brazil's Lula visits flood zone as death toll from landslides hits 70

Brazil's President Lula da Silva on Saturday hugged weeping residents and promised free houses to those who had lost their homes in landslides triggered by torrential rains that killed 70 people in the country's southeast. Thousands were left homeless after mud swept away their houses in the cities of Juiz de Fora and Uba this week, leaving desperate residents seeking loved ones under piles of sludge and debris.

Firefighters said Saturday that they were still searching for three missing people, while the police updated the death toll to 70, including 13 children. According to the latest update from the fire brigade, just over 3,800 people have been made homeless by the landslides.