Brazil responds to massive flooding

Floods in mountain towns north of Rio de Janeiro have killed at least 600 people, and weather forecasters say more rain is on the way. The death toll has risen steadily as rescuers reach remote areas and unearth corpses from mounds of debris. As Brazilians wait for the water to recede, authorities fear the spread of disease through contaminated water. Brazil’s civil defense agency has distributed vaccines against tetanus and diphtheria, according to its website.

Stuart Grudgings, a Reuters senior correspondent who has been covering the flood, has the latest on the rescue efforts and the government response.