Parts of Brazil have been hit by extreme rain and flooding this week with at least 46 people killed in the state of Minas Gerais and in one street coffins could be seen floating

Dozens of coffins were seen floating down a road during extreme flooding.

A person who took images of the eerie scene could be heard shouting 'my God' as the caskets bobbed along the fast-moving water following heavy rain in south-eastern Brazil.

The coffins had floated out of a funeral parlour which had become inundated and they made their journey through the streets in the flash floods.

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The extreme weather has led to seven deaths in the municipality of Ub in Minas Gerais where the funeral home was flooded. Heavy storms have battered the region throughout this week.

And at least 46 people have been killed across the state of Minas Gerais with many more missing. All those who have died are from the city of Juiz de Fora, located north of Rio de Janeiro. While flash floods have destroyed homes and businesses, swept away cars, inundated medical centres and left a trail of destruction. The authorities declared a state of emergency and closed local schools and daycare centres. More than 3,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes so far, according to Minas Gerais’s fire department.

Among the dead was 11-year-old Bernardo Lopes Dutra killed after the rain caused his house to collapse. “It’s a tragedy that no one was expecting,” his father, Ricardo Dutra, said at the funeral in Juiz de Fora. He described Bernardo as “a boy with a big heart who, in his own way, touched everyone around him.” Dutra’s wife and daughter were still in a hospital.

The Rev. Ananias Simões, the pastor at the church that the Dutra family regularly attended in Juiz de Fora, said the building has been turned into a temporary shelter. “We’re doing what we can, collecting food, water. We’re in a war situation,” Rev Simões said.

Dário Tibério, a 41-year-old truck driver, decided to leave his house along with his family for fear of collapse. He found refuge at the church, while he waits on authorities to say his home is risk-free. “There’s a danger that the mud and earth can come and bury us along with the debris. We have this feeling of insecurity,” he said.

A spokesperson for Uba City Hall said: "Families have lost everything. Homes, stories, memories: lives were shaken in just a few hours. Now, more than ever, our city needs the strength of its people." They added: "Teams from the Fire Department, Municipal Guard, and the Municipal Civil Defence Coordination have been working since the early hours of the morning, surveying the flooded locations, working on emergency solutions, and monitoring the affected areas. Teams are already working to restore services as quickly as possible."