Piraí River Floods in Bolivia Kill 20, Dozens Missing Near Santa Cruz
A national red alert remains in force with forecasts of further overflows.
Overview
- Vice-Minister of Civil Defense Alfredo Troche reported 20 confirmed deaths and dozens of missing after early-season rains caused the Piraí to overflow.
- Flooding hit the communities of El Torno and Colpa Bélgica near Santa Cruz, with more than 2,000 families affected.
- Rescue teams stepped up searches for the missing and evacuated 281 people as residents sought refuge on rooftops and in tree canopies.
- President Rodrigo Paz convened a crisis cabinet and cautioned that record early-season rainfall is likely to continue.
- Bolivia’s meteorological service Senamhi kept a red alert for sudden rises on the Piraí and warned of likely overflows on the Maniquí River in Beni.