(Caracas) The death toll from the torrential rains that have battered Venezuela over the past two weeks rose to 13 on Saturday, after local authorities confirmed three more deaths.
Posted at 9:47 p.m.
The search continues to find at least three missing persons.
The bad weather has wreaked havoc in several states of the country such as Tachira (west), where the authorities found on Friday the ninth body of a group of ten people swept away a week ago by the flooding of a ravine in the municipality of Lobatera, local governor Freddy Bernal confirmed to the public broadcaster VTV.
In Mérida (west), the body of an “infant” carried away “15 days ago” by a flooded river was also found. The child was with a man who remains “missing”, Governor Jehyson Guzman said.
The rains also caused damage in the center west of the country. In Lara, a person died struck by lightning while on the phone.
“He was hit and unfortunately he died,” Lara Governor Adolfo Pereira told reporters on Friday, adding that two people had been killed by the rains in the state and that the search was continuing for another. missing person.
An 11-year-old boy also died in Caracas last week when another stream burst its way.
Authorities reported damage to public roads, power outages and flooding.
Caracas has activated an emergency coordination center to prepare for any eventuality in the face of “historic” average rainfall this year.