LA PAZ, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The number of municipalities declared in disaster situation due to intense rains in Bolivia increased to 90, Deputy Minister of Civil Defense Juan Carlos Calvimontes said Monday.
"There are no longer 81 municipalities declared in disaster, now there are 90 municipalities declared in disaster and 19 municipalities declared in a municipal emergency," Calvimontes said at a press conference, specifying that the number of affected families also rose to 368,707.
According to the Bolivian authorities, the most affected regions are La Paz (west), Santa Cruz (east), and Cochabamba (center), where rainfall has caused floods, landslides and damage to infrastructure.
"Of the 50 deaths recorded so far, 18 belong to Cochabamba, the second hardest hit department after La Paz," the official added.
The Bolivian government has deployed heavy machinery to dredge rivers and distribute construction materials to reinforce retaining walls.
The National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology issued a red alert for the sudden progressive increase in river levels in seven of the country's nine departments, which will remain in force until April 5.
