Venezuela flooding death toll rises after three perish near Maracay

Record ID: 1693812

  • Title: Venezuela flooding death toll rises after three perish near Maracay
  • Date: 18th October 2022
  • Summary: MARACAY, VENEZUELA (OCTOBER 18, 2022) (REUTERS) (MUTE) VARIOUS OF DRONE SHOTS OF AREA DESTROYED BY FLOODS VARIOUS OF WATER RUNNING DOWN MUDDIED STREETS TWO CHILDREN LOOKING AT WATER FLOWING LOCAL WHOSE HOUSE WAS AFFECTED BY FLOODS, DANIEL BECERRA, WALKING TOWARDS HIS HOME VARIOUS OF BECERRA’S CALVES STUCK IN MUD MATTRESS IN THE MIDDLE OF A FLOODED ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL WHOSE HOUSE WAS AFFECTED BY FLOODS, DANIEL BECERRA, SAYING: “A downpour of rain came down, and we heard the rumble. When we saw the garage door in the street, we saw an avalanche making 'pum, pum, pum' sounds. All the river came in and filled our house. Inside the house, there is about a metre, metre and a half (3.28 to 4.92 feet) of water and mud. We just arrived to see what can be salvaged from the house's inside.” WATER FLOWING INTO HOUSE RUBBLE PLACED TO TRY TO PREVENT WATER FROM COMING INSIDE VARIOUS OF PEOPLE MOVING ROCKS AND RUBBLE TO TRY TO BLOCK WATER'S PATH VARIOUS OF WATER RUNNING NEXT TO FALLEN TREE LOCAL WHOSE HOUSE WAS AFFECTED BY FLOODS, MARIA ELENA RODRIGUEZ, STANDING IN FRONT OF HER HOME NEXT TO HER DAUGHTER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL WHOSE HOUSE WAS AFFECTED BY FLOODS, MARIA ELENA RODRIGUEZ, SAYING: “That happened yesterday out of the blue. I thought it was the stream because when it rains, the stream carries water. I told her (her daughter), 'It's carrying water.' When I peeked out, I realized it was the garage door. Water came down and saw how it was left. My mom is an elderly person. Thank God it was only us. Just imagine what we'd have to do to take her out. With her boyfriend (referring to her daughter's boyfriend), we took her out through my neighbour's place. We got her here and moved her to the other house, my brother's house. We stayed there until we received help. Now we are at my sister's place waiting for help because my house is in a risky zone. Thank God nothing happened, but it is full of mud. Some of my belongings are in one place, others elsewhere.” VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CROSSING LARGE STREET FILLED WITH RUNNING WATER VARIOUS OF WATER RUNNING DOWN STREET HOME DESTROYED BY FLOOD ROOM FILLED WITH MUD, BED STAINED WITH MUD LOCAL WHOSE HOUSE WAS AFFECTED BY FLOODS, MARIELE FIGALLO, INSIDE A WRECKED ROOM WITH RUBBLE AND BROKEN FURNITURE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL WHOSE HOUSE WAS AFFECTED BY FLOODS, MARIELE FIGALLO, SAYING: “As you can see, the house is inhabitable, with no walls, nothing. There are logs back there, trees. Sadly, it's been heavily raining for two months in the country. Yesterday at about 2 p.m. it all started. Only the gardener and the cleaning person were here, thank God. They were able to leave when they heard the sound of the river. My parents weren't in the house; they were in the city. They (gardener and cleaning worker) ran out and heard how the rocks came thumping, breaking down walls, gates, windows." VARIOUS OF FIGALLO’ DESTROYED HOME PEOPLE WALKING NEXT TO RUBBLE ON STREET RUBBLE VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN DESTROYED AND MUDDIED STREETS (MUTE) DRONE SHOTS OF STREETS FILLED WITH MUD AND HOMES DESTROYED BY FLOODS
  • Embargoed: 1st November 2022 21:45
  • Keywords: Flood Landslide Maracay Natural disaster Venezuela Weather
  • Location: MARACAY, VENEZUELA
  • City: MARACAY, VENEZUELA
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Topics: Environment,South America / Central America,Nature/Wildlife
  • Reuters ID: LVA001318018102022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Flooding in Venezuela's central Aragua state killed at least three people on Monday (October 17), adding to the death toll from weeks of intense rains, authorities said.
    Drone footage captured by Reuters on Tuesday (October 18) showed water running through large streets filled with mud.
    Locals moved rubble on the street to prevent more water from entering their houses.
    The flood and mud destroyed many homes, such as Marielle Figallo's.
    Water broke down walls, windows, and gates, Figallo said. The two workers who were at her home when the disaster happened could leave the house before the water reached it.
    A downpour on Monday (October 17) afternoon caused a dam to overflow, causing a flood that carried rocks, trees, and mud down a main road in El Castano, a suburb of the city of Maracay about 119 kilometers (74 miles) southwest of the capital Caracas.
    Authorities said multiple families had to be rescued and that a total of around 50 families were impacted.
    Heavy rains have killed dozens and left hundreds homeless in the state of Aragua in recent weeks. At least 54 people died in the town of Las Tejerias on Oct. 8 after heavy rains provoked mudslides that buried houses and businesses.
    (Production: Johnny Carvajal, Leonardo Fernandez, Efrain Otero, Nina Lopez)
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