Torrential rains wreak havoc throughout Peru

Photo credit: RPP

Just days after President Ollanta Humala declared a state of emergency in Chosica, other regions throughout Peru have suffered deaths, damage and blocking of roads due to heavy flooding and landslides.

In Tacna department in the Atacama desert of southern Peru, four have been found dead and 50 homes damaged. The coastal highway is closed due to landslides.

In La Capilla district of Moquegua department, one man was killed and 150 homes destroyed. A regional highway is closed.

In Arequipa, landslides caused the Panamericana Sur highway to be closed from Wednesday to Friday.

In northern Peru, a state of emergency has been declared in 21 districts spanning six provinces of the Cajamarca department. The San Ignacio, Jaen, Cutervo, Chota, Cajamarca and Celendin provinces have suffered hundreds of acres of destroyed crops, blocked roads and damaged homes.

16 schools in the La Libertad department have been affected by flooding, two of which were closed. The mayors of Laredo, Poroto and Simbal have declared emergencies in their cities in the Santa Catalina valley.

In Piura, authorities are monitoring the water level of the Piura river, which rose to just 18 inches short of a key bridge in the city this morning. The bridge will close if the water reaches the bottom of the asphalt.

The destruction spanning from the south of the country to the north comes just days after torrential rains and landslides in Chosica killed eight, injured 25 and destroyed hundreds of homes. A key highway passing through Chosica to Lima was reopened yesterday morning after four days out of service.

Sources:

Huaicos dejan 4 muertos y 50 casas dañadas en Tacna (La Republica)

Tacna: carretera costanera se encuentra bloqueada (La Republica)

Gobierno declara en emergencia seis provincias de la región Cajamarca (La Republica)

Un muerto en Moquegua por torrenciales lluvias (La Republica)

Reabren de forma parcial la Carretera Central tras 4 días de estar bloqueada (La Republica)

Arequipa: Panamericana Sur habilitada tras huaicos (RPP)

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