Landslides and flooding caused by heavy rains on Monday have left at least 20 dead and hundreds of homes destroyed in the eastern Venezuelan state of Merida. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government announced on Wednesday that almost 55,000 people have been affected by the heavy floods and mudslides. The official death toll rose to 20, all in the Andean state of Merida. In Tovar town, some 800 kilometres southwest of Caracas, a thick layer of mud fills the streets, and the debris of flood-ravaged houses lies in plain sight. Many have lost loved ones, and many more have lost their homes.
Watch: Dozens dead in Venezuela after floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain
