26 killed by rains in Peru, 38,000 affected

LIMA. March 18. KAZINFORM The current rain season in Peru has killed 26 people and affected another 38,000, the Peruvian National Institute of Civil Defense said on Tuesday in a report.

The report said seven people died in January, six in February and 13 in March in large part of the country. The rains damaged more than 14,000 meters of highways and 1,439hectares of harvests. Also 47 schools were affected, 10 health centers, five churches, 29 locals, 14 bridges and 356 meters of irrigation canals, also 717 animals died and other 370 were affected. Since Oct. 1, 2008, 19 Peruvian departments have been affected by the strong rains and winds, which produced landslides, blockages in roads, harvests destruction and flooding. The economic losses have not been quantified, however they are estimated to surpass the 50 million U.S. dollars, Kazinform cites Xinhua.