Climate security

Deaths and mass evacuations in South American floods

The death of a technician who was electrocuted while trying to restore power to a Paraguayan village brought the toll across three countries to at least 12 overall.

Over recent days the storms blamed on the El Nino weather phenomenon have killed four people in Brazil and two in Argentina. Officials say rainfall has driven at least 160,000 people from their homes in Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.

The director of Paraguay’s weather service, Julian Baez, told reporters the level of the Paraguay River had risen to nearly 8m.

If rains continue as forecasters expect, the flood levels could tie or pass their record of 9m in 1983, when the capital’s busy port area was under water, Mr Baez warned.