LA PAZ (Bolivia), Feb 5 — Two landslides in Bolivia left 14 people dead and seven missing, national police chief Romulo Delgado said yesterday.
Torrential rain caused the landslides on Saturday and Sunday on the road linking the capital La Paz to the northern town of Caranavi, the gateway to the Amazon rainforest.
President Evo Morales said on his Twitter account that helicopters were being used to transport 34 people who were injured to local hospitals.
He also posted pictures of himself at the scene alongside rescue teams.
Morales advised people to stay clear of the area and said humanitarian flights would be organized for emergency cases.
Saturday’s landslide left 13 people dead, Delgado told the Panamericana private radio station, with Sunday's killing one person.
Pupils were due to return from their holidays yesterday but the local education authority in Caranavi postponed the start of the new school year by a week.
Bolivia’s rainy season generally lasts from November to March with January and February often the wettest months. — AFP
