RIO DE JANEIRO, May 27. /TASS/. Nearly 169 Brazilians have died as a result of the devastating floods in southern Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state, the G1 website reports, citing the Civil Defense.

Previously, the number of deaths stood at 143. According to the updated information, 806 people were injured and 56 are still missing.

The floods forced over 581,000 people to leave their homes, while the rains and hurricanes affected more than 2.3 million people in the region, the authorities said.

The downpours began hitting southern Brazil in early May. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva paid a visit to the region.