Province British Columbia, no Canada, declared a state of emergency on Wednesday 17, after flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains.
On Monday the 15th, the body of a woman was found in one of the incidents that took place in the area. Authorities said they expected to find more dead.
All major routes between the Vancouver, the third most populous city in the country, and the interior of the province were stranded by landslides, floods or landslides after the rains started in the south of the region on Saturday the 13th.
“The torrential rains caused terrible flooding that affected lives and claimed the lives of people across British Columbia. I want people to know that the federal government has worked with local authorities, ” said the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin trudeau. “We are sending resources to help people, but we will also be there to clean up and rebuild after the impacts of these extreme weather events,” he added.
The federal government has informed that it will place the Royal Air Force, also known as Air command, to assist with evacuation efforts and provide support on supply lines.
Military helicopters took part in the evacuation of around 300 people from a highway where survivors were trapped inside their vehicles on Sunday evening 14, after a landslide. “We anticipate the confirmation of other deaths in the coming days”, he lamented John Horgan, Premier of British Columbia.
Horgan described the rains as the event that occurs once every 500 years. He said the declaration of the state of emergency will include travel restrictions so that the transport of essential goods and medical and emergency services reaches communities in need. He asked the people not to accumulate assets.
“These are very difficult times. For two years now, I’ve been speaking on this podium about the tough times we face: unprecedented public health challenges, wildfires, warming and now these devastating floods we’ve never seen before, ”recalled Horgan. /AP and REUTERS
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