SAO PAULO >> Heavy rain caused flooding and landslides that have have killed 36 people in Brazil’s north Sao Paulo state, officials said Sunday, and the fatalities could rise. Sao Paulo state government said in a statement that 35 died in the city of Sao Sebastiao and a 7-year-old girl was killed in neighboring Ubatuba.

The cities of Sao Sebastiao, Ubatuba, Ilhabela and Bertioga, some of the hardest hit and now under state of calamity, canceled their Carnival festivities as rescue teams struggle to find missing, injured and feared dead in the rubble. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Twitter he will visit the region Monday.

Sao Paulo state government said in a statement that precipitation in the region has surpassed 23.6 inches in one day, one of the highest amounts ever in Brazil in such a short period.

TV footage showed houses flooded with only the roof visible. Residents are using small boats to carry items and people to higher positions.

– The Associated Press