More than 1,000 families evacuated due to rising rivers in Paraguay

More than 1,000 families were evacuated and transferred to temporary shelters, due to the flooding of rivers in Paraguay, as a result of heavy rainfall in recent days, which affected six regions of the country, according to a report published Tuesday by the National Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (Dinac).

These regions are the riverside areas of the capital Asunción and the departments of Alto Paraguay, Concepción, Presidente Hayes, and San Pedro, due to the flooding of the Paraguay river, as well as Alto Paraná due to the flooding of the Paraná river.

According to the official report, in the last two weeks, very significant rainfall was recorded in the middle basin of the Paraguay river, exceeding historical records of accumulated values at 24, 48, and 72 hours, far exceeding the standard parameters in the basin, causing a significant rise in its level.

Although no deaths or missing persons have been reported to date, there are other potential health risks to which the victims are exposed, including gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases, leptospirosis, and bites from snakes or other poisonous animals, the report warned.