Towns and villages have been cut off across the state of Rio de Janeiro
The number of people killed by flooding and mudslides in south-east Brazil has reached 335, local officials have said.
In the mountain towns of Nova Friburgo, Teresopolis and Petropolis, the death tolls are reported at 155, 146 and 34 respectively, Brazilian media reported.
Rescuers are bringing helicopters in as the search for survivors continues in the region north of Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil has seen severe flooding in recent years, affecting thousands.
Heavy rain began falling again early on Thursday as rescuers sought to begin their search and is expected to continue throughout much of the day.
Brazil’s civil defence department has not yet confirmed the higher death toll, but officials there have said they believe there could be hundreds more bodies yet to be recovered in Teresopolis alone, the Globo media organisation reported.
Sixteen more bodies were found in the town early on Thursday, but the most dramatic rise was in Nova Friburgo, where 48 more people were reported to have died.
With many people still missing it is feared the death toll could rise even further and there is concern about water-borne diseases.
More than 800 rescue workers are conducting searches in the area. The Brazilian navy has offered helicopters to fly in equipment and personnel.
Witnesses said rescue teams were using heavy machinery, shovels and bare hands to dig through tonnes of mud and debris.
President Dilma Rousseff is due to fly over the area on Thursday to inspect the damage.
Earlier this week, torrential rains in neighbouring Sao Paulo state left 13 people dead and brought traffic chaos to Brazil’s biggest city.
In Teresopolis, a river burst its banks, submerging buildings, while the rainfall set off several mudslides.
“It’s a huge catastrophe, a major disaster,” Teresopolis Mayor Jorge Mario Sedlacek told Globo television.
TV footage showed homes destroyed and cars submerged.
“I saw six bodies on my street,” 53-year-old resident Antonio Venancio told Reuters news agency.
He said his house was inundated with mud but still standing.
“We just don’t know what to do in the face of something so horrible,” he added
Civil defence officials in Teresopolis said that in 24 hours it rained 144mm – more than the usual amount for the whole of January.
Power and telephone lines are down in the three towns, and there is no drinking water, officials say.
Major roads have been cut by floods and landslides, adding traffic chaos to the challenges facing state officials.
One resident described the situation just outside Petropolis as a “sea of mud”.
“I’ve lived here 25 years and never seen anything like it,” Manoel Candido da Rocha Sobrinho told Folha website.
“I live in a higher spot but when I look down I just see a sea of mud. Most people saved themselves by scrambling up trees or fleeing to higher ground.”
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