Flooding affects 4 provinces in Panama

A Panamanian official said Wednesday that the flooding over the past days struck four provinces of the country.

Arturo Alvarado, director of the Panamanian National System of Civil Protection, went to the hit areas to evaluate the damage.

The pouring rain in recent days affected the provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, Bocas del Toro and Chiriqui, producing flooding in more than 30 areas of these provinces.

The Panamanian government has declared a green alert in the country and ordered the dispatch of food, water, medicine, mattresses and cloth to the disaster areas.

Officials said some roads in these provinces were destroyed and have yet to be repaired, so some areas now are isolated.

Authorities said some 100 houses have been completely destructed by the flooding, and their owners will be aided by the Housing Ministry.

There are also agriculture and livestock damage, including the loss of subsistence harvests, corn, rice, yucca and beans fields and domestic animals.

Government said the affected people will be relocated in safe lands, far from rivers to avoid flooding.

Source: Xinhua