On Saturday nearly 70,000 people have been forced to leave their homes, with over a million homes left without water due to destructive floods hitting southern Brazil in recent days.
By Saturday evening, the death toll from floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil reached 55, with seven additional fatalities "under investigation," along with 74 missing and 107 injured, according to civil defense.
The state capital, Porto Alegre, is witnessing an "unprecedented" disaster.
A powerful explosion at a gas station on Saturday resulted in at least two deaths in Porto Alegre, according to a correspondent for Agence France-Presse who was present at the scene.
The explosion occurred as rescue vehicles were refueling at the station, which was inundated by floods.
The governor of the state noted that Rio Grande do Sul is experiencing its "worst weather disaster" with nearly 300 towns suffering damage.
Several towns have become isolated as floodwaters or landslides have cut off roads, and communications in the state have been disrupted, with rain expected to continue until at least Sunday.
Authorities have issued evacuation orders for some areas of Porto Alegre, the state capital with a population of about 1.4 million, where several waterways converge.
The river's water level has risen to 5.09 meters, surpassing the record of 4.76 meters set in 1941, according to the municipal government.
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