Venezuela landslide: At least 22 dead, more than 50 missing after river overflowed

The latest terrible disaster caused by excessive rains in central Venezuela, left at least 22 people dead and more than 50 missing after a river overflowed, officials said Sunday.

Venezuela Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said in a televised address that the rain on Saturday night damaged businesses and agriculture by sweeping massive tree trunks and debris from the mountains into the village of Tejerias, 40 miles southwest of Caracas.

Rodriguez stated that finding individuals still buried in the town's mud and rocks were of the utmost importance and that rescue workers and the military were also searching the riverbanks for survivors.

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Authorities in charge of search and rescue said that El Pato, one of the flooded rivers, washed away a number of residences, businesses, and a slaughterhouse.

A resident, whose brother is missing, told the news agency Reuters: "What happened is the river overflowed and there are people we haven’t found trapped in there."

"We need help, please help rescue people because we do not know if people are buried. I have a missing brother, we need support. It is not only my pain, it is the pain of all the people who are here," the resident added.

In a tweet sent on Sunday, Carlos Perez, the deputy minister for the nation's civil protection system, stated that 1000 officers were searching the region for victims.

The deaths bring the total killed in recent weeks to at least 40 as a result of severe rains brought on by the La Nina weather trend, which has caused Venezuela to experience flooding and landslides, to at least 40.

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