Publication Date April 19, 2017 | The Guardian via AFP

Death toll rises to 113 in Peru floods, mudslides

Peru
People clean a street a month after torrential rains, causing flooding and widespread destruction in Carapongo, Lima, Peru, April 18, 2017. Photo: Reuters
People clean a street a month after torrential rains, causing flooding and widespread destruction in Carapongo, Lima, Peru, April 18, 2017. Photo: Reuters

The death toll from flooding and mudslides plaguing Peru since the start of the year has risen to 113 people, including five killed last weekend, officials said Tuesday.

The natural disasters, which scientists blame on a climate phenomenon called “coastal El Nino,” have also left more than 178,000 people homeless, the National Center for Emergency Operations said in its latest update.

Another one million people’s homes have been partly damaged, and more than 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles) of roads have been destroyed.