Petrópolis: Rain destroys memorial for flood victims in Brazil

Friends and family of the victims gathered at the memorial site earlier in March

A memorial for 233 people killed during landslides and flash flooding in the Brazilian city of Petrópolis has been destroyed by heavy rain.

At least five people died and four have been missing since Sunday evening.

Residents shared videos on social media of the symbolic white crosses floating away as rain continued to devastate the city.

The 233 crosses had been set up in the city centre on 15 March to mark one month since February's tragedy.

The memorial was organised by survivors of the landslides and victims' families in memory of those who died, and to keep pressure on authorities to continue the search for those still missing.

The white crosses were filmed floating down a flooded road

Petrópolis resident Ana Maria Riet told BBC News that the February floods destroyed "many dreams along with the city and its inhabitants". The heavy rains on Sunday caused serious concerns among residents and brought a "heavy memory of the tragedy that occurred in our city just over one month ago", she said.

Due to the heavy rain and fear of further landslides, 149 residents have been evacuated into emergency shelters set up by local authorities and a severe weather warning has been issued.