OVER 350 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN killed by flooding and mudslides in south-eastern Brazil and rescue teams are searching for survivors.

Buildings, roads, bridges and communication lines have been destroyed by the severe weather.

Heavy rain has been affecting the region since the start of this year and it began falling again this morning, further hampering rescue efforts, the BBC reports.

Three towns – Nova Friburgo, Teresopolis and Petropolis – in the mountains north of Rio de Janeiro have been particularly affected by mudslides.

One resident in Teresopolis outside Rio de Janeiro told the AP she believes she has lost up to 15 of her relatives in the mudslide. Authorities fear up to 150 people may have been buried there and one part of the municipality remains completely cut off from rescuers.

Over 26cm of rain have fallen on the mountains outside Rio de Janeiro in the past 24 hours, the Globe and Mail reports.

In Nova Friburgo, east of Teresopolis, a six-month-old boy was found alive after spending 12 hours trapped in rubble.

This Russia Today video shows the level of devastation on Brazilian infrastructure and the task facing emergency crews and rescue teams in the affected region: