Heavy rains kill at least 7 in Rio de Janeiro state, 4-year-old rescued after 16 hours under mud

Heavy rains in Rio de Janeiro state have killed at least seven people while a 4-year-old girl was rescued after more than 16 hours under mud

Heavy rains in Rio de Janeiro state have killed at least seven people, authorities said Saturday, while a 4-year-old girl was rescued after more than 16 hours under mud.

The girl was pulled out alive in the city of Petropolis, 69 kilometers (43 miles) north of Rio. Rescue teams had to stop their work Friday night due to risks of new landslides in the region.

The girl's father died as a house was knocked to the ground. She survived because he protected her with her body, members of rescue teams said. Three more people died in the same place.

Mayors and Gov. Claudio Castro had alarmed residents of potential problems for the weekend since Thursday.

Firefighters have struggled to reach those hit by heavy rains, many of them residents of long endangered areas. Sniffing dogs were also part of the rescue efforts. Almost 100 people had been saved, authorities said.