Venezuela flooding: At least 20 dead as rains destroys hundreds of houses

Landslides and flooding caused by heavy rains have left at least 20 dead and hundreds homeless after homes were 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 Andean state of Merida’s official death toll has risen to 20.

In Tovar town, a thick layer of mud is seen filling the streets as debris of flood-ravaged houses lies in plain sight.

Many have lost loved ones, and many more have lost their homes.