AMERICA/PERU - Still rain, the church flooded: it is emergency in Iñapari on the border with Brazil

Iñapari (Agenzia Fides) - The small town of Iñapari has been flooded for several days. This district of Madre de Dios (Peru), on the border with Brazil and Bolivia, has been suffering for days because of heavy rains that hit this area. After the overflowing of the banks of the river Acre (Brazil) and the river Yaverija (Bolivia), the water ended up flooding the small town, the district center of Peru. According to reports gathered by Fides, the mayor, Celso Curi, said that more than 200 homes have been affected and the population, including the 250 Haitian migrants, has shifted to the higher areas of the place. There has been emergency since February 17, when the rivers mentioned began to increase their volume. The houses were flooded by the mud and by everything the waters of rivers dragged along, such as garbage and trunks of trees.
The mayor stated that the water has reached 30 cm in all homes and public places, such as the City and the church. "The Haitians and the rest of the population were taken by boat to the area called La Colonia, which is the highest part of the city. Here we set up tents in the sports field, and will also use another local school if necessary" the mayor said. However what is worrying is that the rains have not stopped, and the rivers Acre and Yaverija continue to increase in volume. The mayor has asked the help of the Civil Defense. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 20/2/2012)