LA PAZ, Bolivia — Severe rainfall following a lengthy drought has triggered a landslide that resulted in substantial flooding in La Paz, the Bolivian capital, early Sunday morning, according to local government sources. This natural disaster has led to the disappearance of a young girl, mandatory evacuations, and power outages across certain areas of the city.

On Saturday, heavy rain caused a river to overflow, resulting in mud sliding from a southwestern neighborhood in La Paz, where many poorly constructed homes are built on steep terrain. The surge of debris flowed down a narrow ravine during the early hours of Sunday, destroying around 20 homes and inundating an additional 40, reported Juan Carlos Calvimontes, the deputy minister of civil defense in Bolivia.

Auto mechanic Luis Mencias expressed his distress as he observed the remnants of his workshop, which was buried under the debris along with the cars he had stored there. His voice trembled while recounting the devastation.

Despite the rain easing off, search and rescue teams continued their efforts to locate a five-year-old girl who went missing amid the chaos in Bajo Llojeta, the affected neighborhood. Workers battled through thick mud while rescuing at least six individuals suffering from hypothermia, their hair covered in muck, as soldiers assisted in clearing the streets of mud.

Grover Mendoza, father of the missing girl, shared the heart-wrenching moment: “My daughter was with her cousins when the mud came. The neighbors managed to save my nephews, but my daughter remains unaccounted for.”

The mayor of La Paz, Iván Arias, has attributed the disaster to the unsafe construction practices of homes built on the hillside without the necessary permits. He criticized those who have destabilized the area, making it more vulnerable to landslides and floods that affect the neighborhoods below.

During a visit to the disaster site, President Luis Arce provided assistance to those impacted by the floods and vowed to pursue accountability for the illegal constructions that contributed to the calamity. He remarked, “We are shocked by what has occurred. This situation cannot continue; an inquiry is essential.”

La Paz is located in a valley surrounded by high elevations, making it particularly susceptible to flooding and landslides. As Bolivia’s rainy season commences, it follows a period marked by one of the most significant droughts in recent history.