At least eight dead and more than 4,600 families displaced as a result of heavy storms in Bolivia

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – At least eight people have died, and more than 4,600 families have been displaced due to the intense storms that hit Bolivia, causing disasters in 26 municipalities and affecting more than 350 houses.

Bolivia’s Vice-Minister of Civil Defense, Juan Carlos Calvimontes, made these figures official to Cadena A. He detailed that six of the deceased have lost their lives in the department of La Paz. In contrast, the other two have lost their lives in Potosí.

“We have the record of disasters in four departments. We are talking about La Paz, with five municipalities; the department of Cochabamba, which is the hardest hit, with 13 municipalities affected; the department of Chuquisaca, with three municipalities; and the department of Potosí, with five,” said Calvimontes.

In addition, it is estimated that about 2,900 hectares of crops have been “practically” destroyed, while more than 4,100 head of cattle have died due to the floods, according to the newspaper ‘La Razón’.

Beyond the balance of damages, the vice minister expressed his concern about the floods in areas where this and other similar phenomena did not occur before, such as in the low valleys of Cochabamba.

Likewise, given the damage caused by the rains in urban areas such as the capital, La Paz, or the city of Santa Cruz, Calvimontes urged the municipal governments to work on contingency plans.