The number of fatalities due to the landslide that occurred in the Venezuelan city of The Tejeríaslocated in the state of Aragua, rose to 43while 56 people are still missingthey officially reported this Monday.
“They have already been rescued (…) 43 bodies,” said President Nicolás Maduro on state television VTV. “And there’s still a significant number of disappeared: 56. We are reaching almost a hundred fatalities from this tragedy, this natural disaster.”
“Tejerías is going to be reborn from pain, from tragedy, from disaster and Tejerías will shine again in life, in peace. Going forward, Tejerías,” continued the president, reported the AFP news agency.
Some 3,000 troops, including police, military and members of Civil Protection, coordinate efforts with neighbors to dig through the mass of mud, tree branches and rocks, after an avalanche that devastated this mountainous town on Saturday in the state of Aragua (central ), after extensive and copious rains.
The agents agree, however, that “it is difficult” to find survivors in this town of 50,000 inhabitants at the foot of the mountains in several houses,” adds a firefighter from the neighboring state of Carabobo.
This year, Venezuela is experiencing an atypical rainy season, which has lasted practically the entire year due to the La Niña phenomenon, tropical waves and the aftermath of Hurricane Julia.
In Las Tejerías, for example, “it rained in eight hours what it rains for a month,” said Vice President Delcy Rodríguez on Sunday.
The flooding of the river, which was up to six meters in the structures closest to the riverbed, dragged trees, cars, light poles, telephone antennas and part of the houses, many built in risk areas.
At least 25 dead and 52 missing left a landslide in Las Tejerías, an industrial town in central Venezuela, where historical peaks of rainfall have been recorded this year, the Government reported. https://t.co/d1gstgGgON pic.twitter.com/oXdOHHWRyj
—Telam Agency (@TelamAgency) October 10, 2022
Maduro, who decreed three days of national mourning, toured the disaster zone on Monday.
The landslide in Las Tejerías is the worst natural disaster in Venezuela so far this century. In 1999, a large landslide in Vargas state (north) killed some 10,000 people.
Active solidarity with the People of Las Tejerías! ?
Our President @NicolasMaduro deployed the entire protective force of the Government to guarantee comprehensive care for families affected by inclement rains generated by the world’s climate crisis
Together we will get ahead! pic.twitter.com/4nGSoEi1xi
— Mervin Maldonado (@MervinMaldonad0) October 10, 2022
In the last three weeks, another 13 people have died in different regions of the country, also as a result of heavy rains.
The government has installed shelters in Maracay, capital of Aragua, and also announced the distribution of 300 tons of food. Collection centers were also installed throughout the country to collect donations.
By instructions of Pdte. @nicolasmaduro, together with the vicepdta. @delcyrodriguev and the min. of the Executive Cabinet, we have toured the affected areas of Las Tejerías, in Aragua, after the landslide that occurred as a result of the heavy rainfall recorded in the last few hours. pic.twitter.com/RFUQQN0nPz
— Nestor Reverol (@NestorLReverol) October 10, 2022
