At least 25 people have been killed and more than 50 are still missing after landslides swept away their homes in the Venezuelan town of Las TejerÃas.
About 1,000 emergency personnel are taking part in search and rescue operations.
“We’re trying to save whoever we can and are expressing our condolences to all those who have lost a loved one,” Vice-President Delcy RodrÃguez said.
President Nicolás Maduro has declared three days of national mourning.
Among those killed are two toddlers, local media said.
Torrential rainfall caused the river El Pato to burst its banks. The resulting floodwaters swept away, trees, cars, houses and shops in the town, some 50km south-west of the capital, Caracas.
On the walls of the houses, thick mud showed how high the floodwaters had risen.
According to Efe news agency, the electricity supply to the town has been cut, leaving it in darkness.
Residents dug through the cloying mud by hand to try to find survivors. They were joined by sniffer dogs and specialised search teams.
 Credit: bbc.com
