The death toll rises to 43 and 36,155 families affected by the rains and floods in Bolivia – 2024-03-08 08:58:06

The Government of Bolivia reported this Sunday that there are already 43 deaths and 36,155 families among victims and affected by the constant rains and floods that affected the nine departments of the country.

The Vice Minister of Civil Defense, Juan Carlos Calvimontes, indicated that there are 26,729 families affected and 9,426 victims, which are already 433 communities that are affected in some way by the constant rains that have caused havoc in different parts of the country.

He added that 483 homes were affected and 842 were completely destroyed, only the Amazonian Pando was declared a departmental disaster and 18 a municipal disaster.

Calvimontes pointed out that in total there are 43 deaths, there are 2 people missing and 5,542 families evacuated by different means to prevent them from being at risk from the floods.

So far the Government has already sent 231 tons of humanitarian aid to the affected families and thousands of soldiers have been mobilized to help with the work in the most affected places.

The vice minister emphasized that the departments most affected by the rains are Pando and La Paz and mentioned that many families from Cobija, the capital of Pando, are gradually returning to their homes after the overflow of the Acre River has been receding.

He emphasized that the reconstruction and rehabilitation stage is also beginning and that it will not be easy with houses completely destroyed.

Calvimontes pointed out that the rains will continue in the coming weeks in the country and that the National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology of Bolivia (Senamhi) issued a new red alert for La Paz and Pando.

There is also another orange alert for southern Tarija, highland Potosí, central Cochabamba, eastern Santa Cruz and Chuquisaca.

The rains have been harsh in recent days, especially in La Paz, where there were street collapses, landslides, material being washed away and river flooding that has affected local roads and homes built near tributaries, and in the Amazonian Pando, floods forced to evacuate houses since it reached up to 17 meters.

The rainy season in the country usually begins in November and lasts until March, with greater intensity in January and February. EFE