Residents carry buckets of mud and water, as firefighters (not pictured) dig for victims of a mudslide, where people remain missing at Barreira neighbourhood in Guaruja, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, March 3, 2020. (Photo: Agencies)

SAO PAULO - At least 16 people are dead and 33 missing following flooding and mudslides caused by heavy rains in southeast Brazil, local authorities said Tuesday.

The coastal cities of Santos, Guaruja and Sao Vicente, which are popular tourism destinations in the state of Sao Paulo, sustained most of the damage.

Two firefighters were killed while trying to rescue residents of the Morro dos Macacos favela in Guaruja, according to a statement from the local government.

Most of the missing are residents of another favela, Vila Baiana, where ramshackle houses on the hillside fell apart under the force of mud and rain.

Sao Paulo state and southeast Brazil in general have seen record rainfall in recent weeks.