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Videos show the devastating effects of rain and floods as thousands are left homeless in Peru

The residents are appealing for help on social media.
The residents are appealing for help on social media.

Heavy rains in Peru have caused devastation in several parts of the country, with thousands of people left homeless due to severe floods and landslides.

News website Peru Reports said extreme weather caused a river in Piura, a city in northwestern Peru, to overflow and collapse drainage systems, leaving 12,000 people homeless and damages spanning 1,200 hectares.

In Paita, a coastal city in the Piura Region, 600 people were left homeless while a further 40,000 were affected by flooding.

Peru’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement, that 210 villagers from the Pacora and Jayanca districts of Lambayeque – a city in Northern Peru, were evacuated by air by the Armed Forces, including 123 children.

According to Peru’s national news agency Andina, the military and police are working together to rescue people who have been isolated by the disaster.

Videos posted on social media show the scale of devastation in flood-affected areas:

A resident in the city of Paramonga said that some houses had no electricity and water and that the streets are blocked by water on the runways and sidewalks. Many Peruvians are appealing for help on social media.

People around the world have been sending messages of support to those affected.