LA PAZ, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rains have claimed 19 lives and affected more than 76,000 families in Bolivia since the rainy season began in November 2024, said an official on Monday.

Fourteen municipalities have declared disaster, and 62 municipalities have been hit by heavy rainfall across eight departments, leaving over 20,000 people homeless, 19 people dead and others missing, said Juan Carlos Calvimontes, the deputy minister of Civil Defense.

This rainy season has brought much more rainfall and flooding to the South American country than in previous years, and the seasonal showers could continue until March or even April, wreaking more havoc, the official told local media.

The official called on lawmakers to approve the release of two international lines of credit of 325 million U.S. dollars to strengthen the country's capacity to manage natural disasters. ■