The death toll from torrential rains that triggered flash floods and landslides in the scenic Brazilian city of Petropolis has risen to 171, authorities said on Sunday.

Rescue workers and residents searching for their missing relatives continued digging through mountains of mud and rubble in the southeastern city.

Police said 126 people remain missing after Tuesday's storm, but it is unlikely any more will be found alive beneath the wreckage. It is unclear how high the steadily rising death toll will go.

The number of missing has fallen as more bodies are identified, and as families manage to find relatives alive and well whom they feared lost in the chaos after the storm.