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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, July 16, 2002

Freezing Weather Kills 19 in Southern Peru

Unusually cold sweeping the southern states of Peru has killed 19 people, the National Defense Office of the Health Ministry said on Monday.


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Unusually cold sweeping the southern states of Peru has killed 19 people, the National Defense Office of the Health Ministry said on Monday.

Because of the severe situation, the federal government declared a state of emergency last Friday in the states affected most: Cusco, Puno, Ayacucho, Arequipa, Apurimac, Huancavelica, Tacna and Moquegua.

According to the National Civil Defense Institute, there were 43,997 people affected by the freezing weather.

Last week, two National Police and Air Force helicopters carried 136 tons of assistance to them, including blankets, thick clothing, tools, rubber boots and light construction material, as well as 300 tons of food.

The area most seriously affected until now is Puno, 1,000 kilometers south of Lima, where 15 people have already died. Another four victims died in Junin state where the temperature fell to 20 degrees Celsius below zero.

Snow more than one meter in depth covered pasture lands. Officials said as many as 60,000 alpacas, 12,000 llamas and 8,000 heads of cattle had died, in an area where most residents made a living by raising livestock.

Meteorological experts said the unusual cold is a clear indication of an impending El Nino phenomenon. Such weather conditions across Peru, with rain in Lima, are uncommon. It is a rare occurrence as the capital is located on the desert strip along the Pacific Ocean.


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