In the state bordering Uruguay and Argentina, record rainfall, flooding, and mudslides have left 132 people missing and 361 injured, and forced over 200,000 residents to evacuate from homes over the past eight days, Xinhua reported.
Over 1.4 million people in 388 of the state's 497 towns, including the capital city Porto Alegre, were affected by the disaster, according to the agency.
More than 85 percent of the city's population has lost access to potable water, leading authorities to ration the supply.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has visited the disaster sites and pledged federal aid.
AMK/PR
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