Ten people have died, including five children, after their overcrowded car plunged into a lake during flooding in a rural area of Brazil.

A passer-by raised the alarm early Sunday morning after seeing an overturned vehicle submerged in a lake in Barra Mansa, Rio de Janeiro state. The area had experienced intense rainfall and flooding over the weekend.

The victims have not yet been identified, but a relative told Brazilian news site G1 they all belonged to the same family. A baby girl was among the casualties, the news site added.

The family were reportedly residents of the Santa Cruz neighbourhood, in Volta Redonda, on the outskirts of Rio.

Confirming the number of casualties, the government of Rio de Janeiro government said they were already dead when they were removed from the vehicle, according to AFP.

“The ten victims were removed from the vehicle already lifeless,” it said.

Local police say it was an accident and they are conducting an investigation into what happened.

Rio authorities expressed their condolences on social media. A statement said the military fire department mobilised around 30 firefighters from five units of the force, with ten vehicles and a boat, including two divers.

“The operation involved police stations in Barra Mansa, Volta Redonda, Resende and Barra do Piraí, as well as specialized teams from the Search and Rescue Group. The Civil Police are investigating the case through the 90th Police Precinct (Barra Mansa),” a statement said

The Rio de Janeiro region was hit by heavy rains on Saturday, which caused severe flash flooding, including in tourist areas such as Copacabana.

This is not the first time this year that the country has been hit by devastating floods.

In May southern Brazil saw unprecedented rainfall which caused the destruction of bridges and roads, impacting millions of people. More than 150 people were killed, and hundreds of thousands displaced.