In Bolivia, a weekend flood disaster claimed at least three lives, including two children, and impacted roughly 1,800 families across the affected region. The catastrophe highlighted the scale of damage as rivers surged, sweeping people and property away and leaving communities to confront the loss and disruption that follows such an event.
Local authorities provided initial details about the fatalities. Cotagaita Mayor Daniel Llanos reported to Erbol, a Bolivian news portal, that the three victims were swept away by fast-moving river currents as waters rose uncontrollably. Officials identified a three-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl among the dead, with a third victim being an adult woman. The mayor described the flood as unlike anything previously witnessed in the area, noting that families had lost much of their daily production and livelihoods as fields and crops were inundated, compounding the struggle to secure food and shelter in the aftermath.
In response to the disaster, Bolivian President Luis Arce directed a rapid mobilization of rescue teams to locate missing persons and support families across 25 affected communities. The president expressed deep sorrow for the human losses and assured the public that no one would be left to cope alone. Emergency measures were put in place, including the deployment of four medical brigades, a supply of medicines, and the distribution of eight tons of humanitarian aid to front-line communities. The coordinated effort aimed to stabilize those most at risk, provide immediate medical care, and begin the process of rebuilding homes and livelihoods that were washed away by the floodwaters. The information reflects official remarks and ongoing reporting from Erbol as the situation developed and relief operations proceeded.”