Heavy rain swamps parts of Peru and Bolivia

Flooding and landslides rip through roads and buildings, killing at least six people in Peru.

arts of Peru and Bolivia are struggling to recover after torrential rain triggered floods and landslides.

In Peru, the southern regions of Arequipa and Ica were the worst hit.

In Arequipa province, 120mm of rain fell in just seven hours on February 8. This amount of rain could cause flooding in almost any part of the world, but is particularly treacherous in Arequipa which is usually very dry. This is the wetter season, but the average rain for the entire month is only 36mm.
Authorities report that nearly 50,000 people have been affected by the extreme rain, and six people are known to have died.
A state of emergency has been declared in the flood-ravaged area after homes and cars were swept away by the floodwaters and over 20km of road destroyed.
Many residents have been left with nothing as rivers burst their banks, and washed away all their possessions. The rain also left several areas of the southern Peruvian region without power and phone lines.

Floods have affected about 48,000 people and left 4,000 houses damaged in Peru, according to local media 
[Reuters

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2013/02/201321493310715698.html