Bolivia’s heavy rains claim 28 lives as death toll rises

The death toll due to heavy rains in Bolivia since November last year has risen to 28, said Juan Carlos Calvimontes, Vice Civil Defence Minister, on Friday.

The rains have affected eight of the country's nine Administrative divisions. "We are talking about 83 municipalities affected, and I am sure that within a week many of them will declare themselves in disaster," the official told a press conference.

So far, 27 municipalities have declared themselves in a state of emergency, of which 22 belong to La Paz, the Administrative division hardest hit by the climate.

The deaths were caused by floods in the departments of Chuquisaca (south), La Paz (west), Tarija (south), Cochabamba (centre), Santa Cruz (east) and Potosi (southwest), according to the government.

In addition, four people remain missing, three of them in the north of La Paz and one in Chuquisaca.

The National Meteorology and Hydrology Service predicted that the rains will persist in the coming weeks, possibly extending until March and April.