Mother, two kids killed as heavy rains pound northern Venezuela

CARACAS, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- A mother and two of her children were killed Wednesday as heavy rains destroyed some 44 houses in the northern Venezuelan state of La Guaira, state governor Jose Teran said Thursday.

In a telephone interview with state-run Venezolana de Television, Teran said the rains also led to power outages and traffic interruptions as a result of flooded roads.

While no rivers or streams overflowed, continuous rains have saturated the soil, said Teran, urging residents in areas at risk of flooding or mudslides to evacuate to shelters.

According to Venezuelan Minister for Internal Relations, Justice and Peace, Remigio Ceballos, the Risk Management System was carrying out "mitigation efforts and attending to the affected areas."

Ceballos told Venezolana de Television the heavy rains are due to the passage of tropical wave number 47 through Venezuelan territory.