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San Salvador (AFP) – Tropical storm Bonnie, which moves through the Pacific of Central America, claimed the life of at least one person in El Salvador on Saturday, where it also knocked down trees, flooded streets, some hospitals and homes, while authorities carried out evacuations and rescues.
“We attended to Maura Carolina Beltrán, 24 years old, she died when she was dragged by a current from a sewer in a community of San Martín”, about 15 km east of San Salvador, the spokesman for Comandos de Salvamento told AFP. Herbert Vanegas.
Tropical Storm Bonnie remains close to the Salvadoran coast, located 270 km south of San Salvador, reported the Ministry of Environment. According to the latest update from the United States National Hurricane Center (CNH), it is moving west at 28 km/h, with winds of 95 km/h.
The Minister of the Interior, Juan Carlos Bidegaín, declared that emergencies were faced in various areas of San Salvador, but “there were no deaths, only material losses.”
“We have had more than 250 people affected, we are going to shelter them in the El Polvorín Sports Center”, south of San Salvador, he emphasized.
In different directions of the Salvadoran capital, the fall of trees, walls and the force of the currents even dragged and overturned vehicles were reported.
In social networks, citizens shared images of the flooding of some hospitals and houses flooded by the accumulation of rainwater.
“Bonnie generated very strong rains and thunderstorms in the coastal zone, the volcanic mountain range, and the metropolitan area of San Salvador, with gusts of strong winds and hail in some areas,” detailed the Ministry of the Environment.
Army and Civil Protection troops were mobilized to remove fallen trees from busy streets. At dawn on Sunday, the rains were already subsiding in El Salvador.
-“Evacuate on time”-
The Cruz Verde relief agency in El Salvador reported the collapse of at least one house and the flooding of some rivers, without so far representing an imminent danger.
The director of Civil Protection, Luis Alonso Amaya, declared that “the territorial deployment that had already been done has worked perfectly for us, we have managed to evacuate people; we have enabled the shelters in time.”
El Salvador, with just 20,742 km2 and 6.7 million inhabitants, has 87% of its territory vulnerable to floods and landslides.
Bonnie, which formed in the Caribbean, made landfall on Friday night between Nicaragua and Costa Rica without causing major damage, according to preliminary reports. She left this Saturday from the continental territory to the Pacific where it has generated heavy rains.
“This rain may cause some cases of flash floods and landslides throughout the region,” he said.
Bonnie is expected to continue parallel to the coast of Central America for the next few days. “Further strengthening is anticipated, with Bonnie expected to become a hurricane by Monday” when it is off Mexico, according to the NHC.
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