Snowfall Causes Fatalities in Bolivia

La Paz, Sep 2 (Prensa Latina) Heavy snowfalls have left at least four dead, 10 missing and more than 5,000 victims so far, after a week of unrelenting weather affecting several departments in Bolivia, reported authorities.

The figures are provisional, with Radio Aclo in the southern region of Chiquisaca reporting the number of deaths having increased to 11, a number so far unconfirmed by authorities.

A total of 10 farmers have been missing for a week in the central province of Cochabamba, while the municipality of Cocapata was declared a natural disaster area, due to elevated snow levels, nearly a meter deep.

By yesterday, nearly 5,130 people had been affected and more than 7,500 cattle, llama, and alpaca perished as a result of low temperatures.

The National Meteorological Sevice announced that weather conditions may improve starting this week, but predicted increased rainfall.

Bolivia has registered the lowest temperature record in South America since 1946, at minus 25.7 degrees celsius in the southern department of Salar de Uyuni.