Strong rains leave many dead, homeless in Central, South America

Heavy rains have claimed many lives and left thousands homeless in Central and South America, officials said Monday.

In Argentina, at least seven people were killed and thousands more displaced by the heavy rains, the authorities said.

The storm, accompanied by strong winds, also interrupted electricity supply and flooded roads in the Argentine provinces ofTucuman and Cordoba.

A 40-year-old woman and her five-year-old son drowned in torrent near the city of Tucuman. A 32-year-old man was electrocuted when a high-tension cable collapsed.

About 500 people were evacuated from their houses to shelters Sunday. Another 500 people had to abandon their houses, according to the authorities.

In Venezuela, three people were killed and 328 left homeless byheavy downpour last week in the states of Vargas, Falcon and Yaracuy, an official said.

Civil Protection Director Colonel Antonio Rivero said Vargas was the state most severely affected by torrential rains and ensuing landslides.

Rivero warned that the number of victims may rise since security officials have received reports that another 200 people in east Vargas asked to be evacuated.

Intense downpour also left at least 2,000 people homeless in west Panama, along the Costa Rican border.

A report release Monday by the National Civil Protection Systemsaid the floods caused by the overflowing of rivers isolated about5,000 people in the provinces of Bocas del Toro and Chiriqui.

In Boquete in Chiriqui, the authorities declared a state of alert, and warned there may be red alert if the rain persists.

Costa Rica on Monday declared a state of red alert in the Caribbean zone of the country, where over 5,500 people were affected by heavy downpour.

Twelve hours of intense rains, starting from the early hours ofSunday, caused damage in the North and Caribbean zones in the country. Nearly 2,000 people were evacuated because of the floods,according to official reports.

Source: Xinhua