Severe flooding in northeastern Argentina has claimed two lives and forced more than 2,000 people to leave their homes, as rising river levels threaten communities across the region.
Heavy rainfall has caused the Paraná, Uruguay, and Iguazú rivers to overflow, affecting areas near Argentina’s borders with Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
In Chaco Province, between 1,200 and 1,300 people have been forced to evacuate, mainly in the towns of Puerto Vilelas and Barranqueras, according to Gustavo Santos, the provincial deputy secretary for Civil Protection.
Santos warned that the situation could persist for months, as river levels are expected to continue fluctuating.
In neighboring Corrientes Province, more than 1,000 people have also been displaced, according to Civil Protection data.
Floodwaters have inundated several neighborhoods in Paso de la Patria, near the Paraná River, where a dam collapsed under pressure from rising water levels.
The two fatalities occurred in Corrientes Province, where the victims drowned while transporting livestock from one island to another in an attempt to save the animals from the rising floodwaters.
Authorities have warned that forecast rainfall in the upper reaches of the Paraná and Uruguay river basins could cause water levels to rise further over the coming week.
