LA PAZ, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 people have died in Bolivia in a little over two months due to heavy rains and floods in seven of the country's nine departments, Deputy Civil Defense Minister Juan Carlos Calvimontes said Tuesday.
Between Nov. 20, 2023 and January 2024, excessive rainfall, hailstorms and frosts have wreaked havoc in 41 municipalities and 154 communities, with the western department of La Paz the hardest hit, with 14 municipalities and 63 communities affected, the official said at a press conference.
Rains displaced 9,075 families, left 4,097 people homeless, and damaged 159 homes, including 44 that were completely destroyed.
While the government has delivered 131 tons of humanitarian aid, much more needs to be done due to the scale of the disaster, he said.
The situation remains critical, Calvimontes said, adding that eight departments have been put on alert until Jan. 27 from the risk of rivers overflowing.
One of the latest tragedies in La Paz occurred on Monday, when a vehicle was swept away by floodwater as it tried to cross a river in the municipality of Irupana, leading to the deaths of four people.
