LIMA, Peru (AP) - A new round of unusually heavy rains has killed at least a dozen people in Peru and now threatens flooding in the capital.

The new floods and mudslides over the past three days follow a series of other storms and officials say that a total of 62 people have died and 12,000 homes have been destroyed so far this year.

Authorities said Thursday they expect the intense rains caused by the warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean to continue another two weeks.

Schools nationwide are suspending classes and in the capital of Lima, the swelling Huaycoloro river swept away two trucks and threatens to destroy a bridge.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said late Wednesday that authorities are prepared to provide shelter and relief to those left homeless. </s> A new round of unusually heavy rains has killed at least a dozen people in Peru and now threatens flooding in the capital.

The new floods and mudslides over the past three days follow a series of other storms and officials say that a total of 62 people have died and 12,000 homes have been destroyed so far this year.

Authorities said Thursday they expect the intense rains caused by the warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean to continue another two weeks. </s> LIMA, PERU—The number of people killed in Peru following intense rains and mudslides wreaking havoc around the Andean nation climbed to 67 Friday, with thousands more displaced from destroyed homes and others waiting on rooftops for rescue.

Across the country overflowing rivers caused by El Nino rains damaged 115,000 homes, collapsed 117 bridges and paralyzed countless roadways.

“We are confronting a serious climatic problem,” President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said in a statement broadcast live Friday afternoon. “There hasn’t been an incident of this strength along the coast of Peru since 1998.”

The highly unusual rains follow a series of storms that have struck especially hard along Peru’s northern coast, with voracious waters inundating hospitals and cemeteries, and leaving some small villages entirely isolated. On Thursday, the National Police rescued eight people who had been trapped for three days in Cachapampa and removed the body of an 88-year-old man killed in the floods. In the highlands of La Libertad, dramatic video showed crashing water inundating several buses and trucks, killing at least five people. Rescuers were searching survivors Friday.

Even in Peru’s capital city of Lima, where a desert climate seldom leads to rain, police had to help hundreds of residents in an outskirt neighbourhood cross a flooded road by sending them one-by-one along a rope. The muddy water channelled down the street after a major river overflowed. Some residents left their homes with just a single plastic bag carrying their belongings. </s> LIMA, Peru (AP) — The number of people killed in Peru following intense rains and mudslides wreaking havoc around the Andean nation climbed to 67 Friday, with thousands more displaced from destroyed homes and others waiting on rooftops for rescue.

Across the country overflowing rivers caused by El Nino rains damaged 115,000 homes, collapsed 117 bridges and paralyzed countless roadways.

“We are confronting a serious climatic problem,” President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said in a statement broadcast live Friday afternoon. “There hasn’t been an incident of this strength along the coast of Peru since 1998.”

The highly unusual rains follow a series of storms that have struck especially hard along Peru’s northern coast, with voracious waters inundating hospitals and cemeteries, and leaving some small villages entirely isolated. On Thursday, the National Police rescued eight people who had been trapped for three days in Cachipampa and removed the body of an 88-year-old man killed in the floods. In the highlands along the department of La Libertad, dramatic video showed crashing water inundating several buses and trucks, killing at least five people. Rescuers were searching Friday for survivors.

Even Peru’s capital city of Lima, where a desert climate seldom leads to rain, police had to help hundreds of residents in an outskirt neighborhood cross a flooded road by sending them one-by-one along a rope. The muddy water channeled down the street after a major river overflowed. Some residents left their homes with just a single plastic bag carrying their belongings.

In total, more than 65,000 people in nearby Huachipa were unable to either go to work or return to their properties.

“There’s no way to cross,” said Henry Obando, who was rescued after leaving the factory where he works and making his way toward a rooftop where officers created a zip-line to cross. “Many people are trying to get to their homes.”

The storms are being caused by a warms of the surface waters in the Pacific Ocean and are expected to continue for another two weeks. Kuczynski declared Peru’s Central Highway in a state of emergency Friday and announced he would be boosting funds for reconstruction. He said he was optimistic the country was in a strong position to make a swift recovery but urged resident to use caution.

“This hasn’t ended,” he warned. “And it will continue for some time more.”

In 1998, another El Nino event brought heavy rainfall to the nation’s coast, causing landslides, ripping apart homes and leaving hundreds dead.

Associated Press writer Christine Armario in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this report. </s> LIMA, Peru — The number of people killed in Peru following intense rains and mudslides wreaking havoc around the Andean nation climbed to 67 Friday, with thousands more displaced from destroyed homes and others waiting on rooftops for rescue.

Across the country overflowing rivers caused by El Nino rains damaged 115,000 homes, collapsed 117 bridges and paralyzed countless roadways.

“We are confronting a serious climatic problem,” President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said in a statement broadcast live Friday afternoon. “There hasn’t been an incident of this strength along the coast of Peru since 1998.”

The highly unusual rains follow a series of storms that have struck especially hard along Peru’s northern coast, with voracious waters inundating hospitals and cemeteries, and leaving some small villages entirely isolated. On Thursday, the National Police rescued eight people who had been trapped for three days in Cachipampa and removed the body of an 88-year-old man killed in the floods. In the highlands along the department of La Libertad, dramatic video showed crashing water inundating several buses and trucks, killing at least five people. Rescuers were searching Friday for survivors.

Even Peru’s capital city of Lima, where a desert climate seldom leads to rain, police had to help hundreds of residents in an outskirt neighbourhood cross a flooded road by sending them one-by-one along a rope through choppy waters. The muddy current channeled down the street after a major river overflowed. Some residents left their homes with just a single plastic bag carrying their belongings.

In total, more than 65,000 people in nearby Huachipa were unable to either go to work or return to their properties.

“There’s no way to cross,” said Henry Obando, who was rescued after leaving the factory where he works and making his way toward a rooftop where officers created a zip-line to cross. “Many people are trying to get to their homes.”

The storms are being caused by a warms of the surface waters in the Pacific Ocean and are expected to continue for another two weeks. Kuczynski declared Peru’s Central Highway in a state of emergency Friday and announced he would be boosting funds for reconstruction. He said he was optimistic the country was in a strong position to make a swift recovery but urged residents to use caution.

“This hasn’t ended,” he warned. “And it will continue for some time more.”

In 1998, another El Nino event brought heavy rainfall to the nation’s coast, causing landslides, ripping apart homes and leaving hundreds dead.

On Friday, drinking water was cut off throughout most of Lima, spiking the price for bottled water and creating long lines at city tanks. U.S. Embassy helicopters typically used to eradicate coca crops in the Amazon were redirected to help in rescue efforts.

“People are desperate,” said Doris Meza, who lives in one of the Lima districts most heavily inundated by the floods. “Water is entering everyone’s homes. There aren’t cars and drivers are charging whatever they want.” </s> The intense rains, overflowing rivers, mudslides and flooding being experienced in the country are the worst seen in in two decades, Peruvian authorities said Saturday, affecting more than half the nation as the death toll since the beginning of the year hits 72.Prime Minister Fernando Zavala on Saturday updated the number of dead to 72 in comments to local radio station RPP.The government says 374 people were killed in 1998 during a similar period of massive rains and flooding caused by rains blamed on the El Nino climate pattern.The rains have overwhelmed the drainage system in the cities along Peru's Pacific coast and the health ministry has started fumigating around the pools of water that have formed in the streets to kill mosquitoes that carry diseases like dengue.Lima has been without water service since the beginning of the week. The government has deployed the armed forces to help police control public order in the 811 cities that have declared an emergency."The prices for lemons have gone up, as well as for potatoes and cooking oil," said Sara Arevalo, a mother of five who was shopping at a market in northern Lima. The government has acknowledged that prices have shot up some 5 percent because of the flooding.The highly unusual rains follow a series of storms that have struck especially hard along Peru's northern coast, with voracious waters inundating hospitals and cemeteries, and leaving some small villages entirely isolated. The storms are being caused by a warming of the surface waters in the Pacific Ocean and are expected to continue for another two weeks.Even Peru's capital city of Lima, where a desert climate seldom leads to rain, police on Friday had to help hundreds of residents in an outskirt neighborhood cross a flooded road by sending them one-by-one along a rope through choppy waters. The muddy current channeled down the street after a major river overflowed. Some residents left their homes with just a single plastic bag carrying their belongings. </s> The bodies of more than 250 people have been pulled out of mud and rubble in Colombia after deadly landslides struck the southern American country. As rescue personnel race to find survivors, as many as 200 people are still unaccounted for.

Water from three overflowing rivers swept through the town of Mocoa, located in south-western Colombia, flooding homes and sweeping away vehicles as big as lorries. Most of the victims were caught unawares as the mudslides hit when they were asleep. Just after midnight, an avalanche of muddy waters and debris uprooted trees and destroyed buildings on their way leaving little time for inhabitants to cope with the situation. Mocoa, the capital of Putumayo province, lies near the border with Ecuador.

The three rivers broke their banks after a month of heavy rainfall in the region. President Juan Manuel Santos declared a state of emergency after visiting the disaster zone. He said the death toll could be higher as scores of people were still missing. Close to 400 people have been injured so far, many of critically.

Over 1,100 military and police personnel have been deployed to carry out rescue operations. But rescue work has been hampered by poor weather and lack of electricity.

Images showed troops carrying women and children over mud-caked houses and trees.

Hundreds of families have been displaced in Mocoa with local reports suggesting similar devastation in at least a dozen other hamlets in the area. Fear has gripped the area that river waters could rise again affecting the neighbourhood.

"The hospital collapsed and we don't have water, electricity and gas. The bridges are destroyed. The roads to Huila are impassable. We are fenced in," Mocoa's Mayor Jose Castro said. "The rains are going to remain inclement and I fear they could lead to another tragedy to add to the pain we people from Putumayo are already feeling." </s> The incident at the Swar dam is the fourth major dam failure in recent months.

Monsoon rains have caused a dam in Myanmar to overflow, inundating the nearby township of Swar and surrounding villages in Bago region.At least 50,000 people are thought to have evacuated their homes after the Swar irrigation dam was breached during the early hours of 29 August, 2018, according to Reuters.Images on social media show teams from fire services and military helping to evacuate people from flooded areas. Myanmar Fire Service said they were using boats to carry out search and rescue operations. Some unconfirmed reports suggested that there have been some fatalities.Parts of Laos were badly affected in July this year when heavy rainfall caused the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam under construction in Sanamxay District of Attapeu province, that left at least 35 dead and many more still missing.In Colombia, the government in Antioquia department, Colombia, declared a Public Calamity after the Hidroituango Dam on the Cauca river threatened to collapse. On 12 May, a sudden release of water from the dam flooded municipalities of Puerto Valdivia and Taraza down stream, forcing around 600 people to evacuate their homes. By 23 May, further evacuations had been carried out in Puerto Valdivia and the municipalities of Puerto Antioquia, Cáceres and Tarazá, with the total number disaplced at around 25,000.In Kenya, the Patel Dam in Solai, Subukia Sub-County, Nakuru County , broke its banks on 09 May, 2018, killing at least 38 people. </s> A landslide in Colombia’s southwestern border province of Putumayo sent mud and debris crashing onto houses overnight, killing 154 people and injuring at least 120, officials said on Saturday.

Heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks onto buildings and roads in the provincial capital of Mocoa and immobilising cars in several feet of mud.

“It has just been reported to me that we have 112 people dead,” president Juan Manuel Santos said after arriving in Mocoa and declaring a state of emergency. “We will keep looking,” he added, referring to ongoing rescue efforts. The number has since risen.

Local police said earlier on Saturday that 93 bodies had been recovered. The disaster response unit said 120 people were injured, though local media reported at least 200.

“We have sent a team of 150 people to make our response effective and machinery began work immediately,” Carlos Ivan Marquez, head of the disaster unit, said in a statement. “We will be with the governor and the mayor giving all necessary attention.”

Photos posted on Twitter by the air force showed neighborhood streets filled with mud and damaged houses while videos on social media showed residents searching for survivors in the debris and struggling to move through waist-high water overnight.

“It’s a big area,” Mocoa Mayor Jose Antonio Castro told Caracol on Saturday. “A big portion of the many houses were just taken by the avalanche, above all people were warned with enough time and they were able to get out, but houses in 17 neighborhoods have basically been erased.”

Two bridges also were destroyed, Mr Castro said.

A combination of heavy rains, a mountainous landscape and informal construction of homes makes landslides in the Andean country relatively common. Reuters
Heavy flooding in Peru kills at least 67 people and forces thousands to abandon their homes.