Buenos Aires: Two days of heavy rains caused flooding and landslides in southeast Brazil that have killed at least 30 people, authorities said on Saturday.

Civil Defense officials said 17 people are listed as missing and 2600 were evacuated from their houses in Minas Gerais state, which has been buffeted by 48 hours of torrential rains.

Locals work to clean up mud and debris around houses destroyed by a landslide after heavy rains in the Vila Ideal neighbourhood in Brazil. Credit:AP

The Brazilian weather service Inmet said that in the past two days, the regional capital Belo Horizonte had seen the most intense rainfall recorded in more than 100 years.

A total of 171.8 litres of rain per square metre fell within 24 hours (171.8mm).