national

Rains trigger landslides

Several landslides have paralyzed road traffic between communities in the Coclé province.

The pilot and passenger of a helicopter were killed after plunging into waters off the coast of Chiriquí.

edilsa gonzález/la prensa

awash: Saturated hillsides have given way across the Coclé province, leaving roads to several communities impassable.1126303

Inclement weather continues to cause disruptions in the lives of residents throughout the country, particularly in the Coclé province. This time torrential rains falling the area of La Mesa de El Valle de Antón rendered several communities incommunicado for hours yesterday after a landslide dumped boulders and mud onto the road leading to Las Nubes, Loma Grande and La Mesa.

José Sánchez, a resident of La Mesa, said the community remains frightened that more landslides are imminent because the rain has not let up over the last eight days and slopes in the area are showing signs of giving way.

Fellow resident Luis Martínez said he has appealed to authorities of the Ministry of Public Works and SINAPROC, the country’s civil protection agency, to send inspectors to the area to assess the possibility that mud from landslides is accumulating in sewers, which could flood homes nearby.

Several kilometers north of La Mesa, landslides have also isolated the communities of Río Indio and Capira.

SINAPROC officials ordered popular hiking trails on La India Dormida mountain pass closed to both tourists and locals after steep slopes buckled and cracked under the weight of the rainwater.

Crews from the Ministry of Public Works worked with equipment from the Toledano company to clear the roads.

José Fernández, a representative of El Valle, said he recommended the construction of a retaining wall in the passage where landslides paralyzed movement in the area two years ago, since the conditions of the land there poses a threat to the lives and property of several local families residing in the community.

Nearby, the La Pintada river’s strong currents caused damage to about five houses, one of which was submerged to the rooftop.

And in the same district, the road to Piedras Gordas remained blocked by a landslide.

Meanwhile, a helicopter used to spot tuna plunged into waters yesterday off the coast of Punta Burica, in the Chiriquí province, killing the pilot and a passenger aboard.

Officials from SINAPROC reported that the helicopter is believed to have been experiencing mechanical failure when the pilot lost control and crashed into international waters.

Eustaquio Fabrega, of the Civil Aviation Authority, said it is thought that the people aboard were Venezuelan nationals.