(Santo Domingo) The authorities declared on Monday a “three-day national mourning” in tribute to the victims of the torrential rains which fell on the Dominican Republic in recent days and which left at least 24 dead according to a new report.
“Three days of official mourning are declared throughout the territory of the Dominican Republic […] on the occasion of the deaths resulting from the recent atmospheric phenomenon in the country,” a presidential decree announced on Monday.
Some 17,000 people have been evacuated from risk areas, according to the Emergency Operations Center (COE) and 31 of the Caribbean country’s 32 provinces are still on alert.
The number of deaths rises to 24, compared to 21 on Sunday evening, including four American nationals and four Haitians, according to a new report from the WCC which could further increase.
Nine people were killed Saturday evening when a large wall collapsed on vehicles on one of the main arteries of Santo Domingo, the capital.
Schools are closed until Wednesday in order to assess the extent of the damage in schools and “guarantee the safety” of students.
President Luis Abinader attributed the heavy rains to climate change.
“Those who do not believe in climate change must start believing in it,” said Mr. Abinader on Sunday, who reported “widespread and substantial” damage, without giving figures. The rainfall led to power and drinking water outages in some areas.
At the end of August, the passage of Storm Franklin in the Dominican Republic left two dead and one missing and some 3,000 people were evacuated.