The plastic rocks are turning up in an important and protected area where green turtles lay their eggs.

The flooding has killed 54 people and left 18 missing. Those evacuated were being housed in makeshift shelters in churches, schools and fire stations.

More than 100 people have been reported killed, with schools and businesses closed and public transportation at a standstill, as a six-day strike by police in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo.