Death Toll in Brazil's Flood-Hit State Rises to 17

The death toll from two weeks of torrential rain in Brazil's southeastern state of Espirito Santo has risen from 14 to 17, officials said Wednesday.

A civil defense spokesman told Agence France Presse that the bodies of three more victims -- two men and a woman -- were found early Wednesday.

He added that the number of people left homeless by the extensive flooding totaled around 50,000.

On Tuesday, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff toured flood-hit areas of the state and pledged federal aid to rebuild homes and roads.

Nearly 20,000 kilometers (12,500 miles) of roads were reported destroyed or damaged.

Authorities said 47 cities in Espirito Santo, which borders Rio de Janeiro state, were affected by the flooding, including many left without communications, drinkable water and power.

State governor Renato Casagrande, who on Saturday declared a state of alert in the area, described the rains as the worst in the past 90 years.

In the neighboring state of Minas Gerais, where heavy rains have sparked landslides, 17 fatalities have now been reported since October 15.

In early December, a storm left 16 people dead and flattened more than 200 houses in the city of Lajedinho in the northeastern state of Bahia.