CARACAS, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 22 people died and another 52 went missing after landslides occurred in the northern state of Aragua in Venezuela, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday.
"President Nicolas Maduro is going to declare this a disaster area and has also decreed three days of mourning," Rodriguez said in a statement on television.
The landslides were due to heavy rainfall that caused several rivers to overflow near the town of Las Tejerias, located about 60 km from the capital city of Caracas.
Rodriguez, who visited the affected area on Sunday, said that the Bolivarian National Armed Forces have been sent to search for the missing.
She also said that shelters were set up for affected families and that damaged businesses would be aided.
Minister for Internal Relations, Justice, and Peace Remigio Ceballos said that more than 1,000 officials from security and risk management agencies were responding to the emergency. ■
