The Mocortis River in Venezuela has burst its banks.
@ve_nezuelalibre, Twitter
- Heavy rain caused the Mocortis River in Venezuela to burst its banks.
- At least 15 people died and 35,000 people were affected by the floods.
- The road to the village of Tovar was blocked.
Authorities said on Tuesday that at least 15 people have died in the Venezuelan Andes after heavy rains triggered mudslides.
Mocoties Valley is an agricultural area in western Merida. It attracts a large number of tourists. A few hours of downpour caused huge boulders to roll off the slopes and block the roads.
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Jahisson Guzman, an official overseeing Merida on behalf of President Nicolas Maduro, said that 15 people have been confirmed dead.
Images shared on social media showed a water stream carrying a vehicle on a street in the village of Tovar.
Others showed cars buried in mud or stuck between tree roots, sticking out of a mud puddle surrounded by rocks and furniture.
Ramon Guevara, the governor of Merida, said that the Mocortis River had burst its banks and flooded Torval, where electricity and telephones were cut off.
The road to the town was also blocked.
“This is a dramatic, sad and desperate situation. It is not easy to lose everything, and it is even worse to lose your family,” Jesus Quintero, a journalist based in Merida, told AFP.
“This is a repeat of the tragedy of 2005.”
@jcsosazpurua This happened to my precious Merida. We are expressing our condolences for the number of dead and missing. Affected areas: Torval, Santa Cruz de Mora, Valle del Mocoties. There are no ambulances and bulldozers.Mayor of Carnival pic.twitter.com/qbpcFybLml
-Anna Romero (@AnaRome43694546) August 25, 2021
That year, heavy rains in Merida caused 41 deaths and 52 missing.
Heavy rain also hit other parts of Venezuela, including the capital, Caracas.
In a speech on national television, Maduro said that more than 35,000 people across the country were affected by the rain and more than 8,000 houses were destroyed.
The Government Meteorological Institute warned that six rivers might burst their banks, and three states—Bolivar, Guarico, and Zulia—are on red alert.
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