La Paz, Feb 27 : Torrential rains in Bolivia have claimed a total of 37 lives since November, Juan Carlos Calvimontes, the deputy minister of civil defence, said.

"The number of deaths has risen to 37, 16 of which are in the (central) department of Cochabamba. Six people are missing," the official said on Wednesday at a press conference.

In addition to Cochabamba, fatalities were registered in La Paz (8), Potosi (5), Chuquisaca (5), Tarija (2) and Santa Cruz (1), Xinhua news agency reported.

Three people are reported missing in La Paz, two in Cochabamba and one in Chuquisaca.

Nearly 379 homes have been destroyed, the vast majority (319) in the department of La Paz, 35 in Cochabamba, 20 in the department of Beni and five in Potosi, he said.

"We are talking about 1,684 affected communities... 43,171 victims, a total of 161,125 families" impacted by the heavy rains, he added.

A weather alert from the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service is still in effect for the departments of La Paz, Cochabamba, Tarija, Pando, Beni and Potosi, said Calvimontes.

Since November 2024, floods have damaged 1,004 homes, with 350 completely destroyed, as conditions continue to worsen.

The rains have affected eight of the country's nine departments.

"We are talking about 83 municipalities affected and I am sure that within a week many of them will declare themselves in disaster," the official told a press conference.

So far, 27 municipalities have declared themselves in a state of emergency, of which 22 belong to La Paz, the department hardest hit by the climate.

The western department of La Paz has declared a state of emergency due to severe flooding, signalling that local authorities are overwhelmed and allowing for the mobilisation of national resources to support relief efforts.

Calvimontes said the country faces a major challenge in protecting residents and rebuilding communities. He warned that heavy rains are expected to persist through April.

The National Meteorology and Hydrology Service has described Bolivia's current weather patterns as highly severe.

Authorities are working with meteorologists to provide early warnings to local governments and reduce risks, he added.

In addition, four people remain missing, three of them in the north of La Paz and one in the department of Chuquisaca.

The National Meteorology and Hydrology Service predicted that the rains will persist in the coming weeks, with the possibility of extending until March and April.

/IANS