Heavy rains cause Coclé landslides

 Heavy rains on Friday and Saturday caused major landslides in Cocle Province making the community of Santa Marta and at least two others incommunicado. A house has collapsed and a vehicle swept away by a surging river.

Staff of the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc) decided to close the road completely as a security measure.

Manuel Gómez, regional director of the Sinaproc in Coclé, said that tapes were also placed to prevent someone from trying to cross on foot, as it is dangerous because the hill is giving way and could cause an accident with fatalities.

Gomez said he has already met with the regional director of the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), as well as with the deputy governor of Coclé, Isaac Quirós, with whom he works to find a way to avoid more landslides and enable the road, because it is an “urgency.”

Staff and team of the regional management of the MOP  are in the community of Marta to assess the causes of the collapse.

Meanwhile, the water and sewers authority (IDAAN)  reported that the water treatment plants of Natá, Capellanía, Penonomé, La Pintada, and Farallón have reduced the production of drinking water, due to the turbidity of the rivers.