(Santo Domingo) Heavy rains that fell on the Dominican Republic over the past 48 hours caused the death of at least 21 people, including 3 minors, authorities announced on Sunday
Four of the people who lost their lives in different events are American nationals and three are Haitians, according to the Emergency Operations Center (COE). Almost all provinces in the country (30 out of 32) were still on alert on Sunday, according to the authorities.
Nine of the 21 deaths occurred Saturday evening when a large wall collapsed on vehicles on February 27 Avenue, one of Santo Domingo’s main arteries.
“This event cost the lives of nine people,” said the Ministry of Public Works in a press release stressing that an “investigation” had been opened.
Nine other people died in Santo Domingo in separate accidents, including the collapse of the wall of a house.
A man was swept away by waters in the province of San José de Ocoa (south) while two other deaths took place in similar circumstances in the province of La Altagracia (east).
Some 13,000 people were evacuated from risk areas, according to the COE.
Dominican President Luis Abinader said at a news conference Sunday that it was “the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in the Dominican Republic.” He announced that classes were suspended until Wednesday in order to “guarantee the safety of children and young people”.