At least 69 killed in Bolivian flash floods

At least 69 people have died in the Bolivian capital, La Paz, after storms caused floods and mudslides throughout the city in recent days.

The storms flattened homes and cut electricity as a torrent of rain and hail fell on La Paz, which lies in natural bowl surrounded by the Andes Mountains.

Mayor Juan del Grando said 150 people were injured in the chaos and 122 families who lost their were given temporary shelter in the city’s football stadium.

He estimated the cost of the damage at more than €60m.

Many of the dead were street vendors who drowned in the flash floods.

Bulldozers cleared mud from the streets today and rescue workers pulled more bodies from swollen rivers.

Bolivian President Jorge Quiroga declared a state of emergency in La Paz and appealed for foreign aid.

The National Meteorological Service said the city has not seen such intense rainfall in the 50 years since records began.