The flood broke out in Cusco

Precipitation left six dead and more than 7 thousand families homeless. President of the region said S/.40 MLLS needed. to tackle disaster

By: Ramon H Roxabel Correspondent Tuesday January 26, 2010 Cusco slowly drowns.

The Incas under 25 do not recall having endured as intense as the rain which has plagued the region over the past two weeks.

They are perplexed by the persistence of that rainfall, which in the past five days are interrupted for a few hours to resume stronger.

This phenomenon has caused the rapid spate of almost all rivers of the department. In the provinces of Cusco, Urubamba, Calca, Canchis Quispicanchi, The Convention and Anta, it is known that flooding and landslides have left six people dead, 7344 homeless families, blocked roads, collapsed bridges and streets turned into rivers.

At this, the president of the Council of Ministers, Javier Velásquez Quesquén, announced that both the department of Apurimac as have been declared state of emergency for 60 days. The measure shall govern in the provinces of Cusco mentioned. In the other five provinces in the region (Paruro Paucartambo Acomayo, Chumbivilcas Espinar and Canas), which are also the most inaccessible, have reported similar damage.

"There is clear evidence of the situation in the latter areas, so the Executive seeks to discriminate on the emergency measure," protested yesterday Hugo Gonzales, president of the Regional Government of Cusco.

This declaration, to be published today in Cusco authorized to use their resources to mitigate the emergency fee. "We require a minimum of S/.40 million," said authority. He added that so far management has invested S/.15 million in prevention efforts. However, in almost all affected areas is found otherwise. The Vilcanota River is the most furious.

Until two days before overrunning the meteorological station of Pisac, its volume measured 4.20 meters high, where the maximum in the rainy season is 3.50 meters. But yesterday the Vilcanota grew much and broke the metal bridge of Pisac.

At the same time, completely destroyed the police station that stood on the sidelines and cracked the walls of some 50 dwellings. The desperate residents placed sandbags by way of trenches and removed everything they could from their homes while these were crumbling.

To get there from Cusco was necessary to draw at least 30 landslides of rocks and earth on the road. But Pisac is just the first people involved in the Sacred Valley. In the towns of Calca, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo cornfields were flooded and hundreds of homes are flooded. Yesterday he confirmed four deaths in Lamay, Calca and in the center of Cusco.

These are in addition to the two that occurred a day earlier by the sliding of a hill on the outskirts of Cusco. ISOLATED IN MACHU PICCHU In the Sacred Valley, the railroad still locked on four points for the undermining of the embankment. Further, in the village of Machu Picchu, about 3,500 tourists stranded. Neither alternative route to the citadel, Santa Teresa, was saved from the roadblocks.

Yesterday it was expected that at least four helicopters arrived to Machu Picchu to evacuate the tourists, but due to bad weather, only three ships were able to land there. Sixty-six people, including children, elderly and ten patients were transferred to Ollantaytambo. Among patients, there were cases heart, diabetes and appendicitis. A large number of tourists waiting at the stadium of people, others as the dealership Peru Rail, have begun a journey on foot. And all residents and visitors should bear speculation in food prices, which are becoming scarce. In this regard, the Tourism Minister, Martin Perez, said food left for three days.


DISASTER IN THE SOUTH VALLEY The situation is similar in the valley of Cuzco, where rivers Lucre Huatanay and destroyed hundreds of houses. Oropesa, Lucre and Huarcapay are the most affected sites. Army personnel working with victims, but every effort is inadequate. Disasters have exceeded their capacity. MORE INFORMATION In the city of Cusco, the rainfall reached 100 mm in just 3 days. This figure represents almost a month: 130 mm. In these 3 days Sichuan province accumulated 57 mm. Should normally 37.4 mm rain in ten days.

According to Senamhi, excessive rain in Pisac was 67.2%. READ MORE The weather would truce The Senamhi said today through Saturday 30 Cusco will have cloudy skies with sunshine. The intensity of rainfall in this region will gradually decrease.

Source: Diario El Comercio.


Donations Frecuencia Latina (Avenue San Felipe 968 - Jesús María. )

BCP Account (www.viabcp.com): 193-1853603-0-61 to name :"Cámara de Comercio de Cusco –Damnificados"

Tele maratón UNSAAC : Cuenta en Soles Scotiabank (www.scotiabank.com.pe) : 780-7777777

Cuenta en Soles Caja Municipal Cusco: 10601232100905525