SAO PAULO, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Record-breaking heavy rains since Monday in southeastern Brazil have killed at least 20 people, official sources said Tuesday.

In the rain-hit city of Juiz de Fora in southeastern Minas Gerais state, 16 people died, 45 were missing, and about 440 were left homeless. Several kilometers away from the city, in Uba, heavy rains left four people dead.

The heavy rains have also triggered landslides, floods and the collapse of buildings. Local authorities have declared a state of public calamity given the magnitude of the damage. ■