Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
VOLCAN, Argentina (AP) — People in this small town in northern Jujuy province are scrambling to rescue what's left of their belongings a week after torrential rains unleashed a devastating mudslide that buried most of the homes.
Volcan was the worst-hit by the heavy rains that swelled rivers in the region about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) north of Argentina's capital.
The mudslide killed two people and forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 in several communities in an area frequented by tourists known as the Quebrada de Humahuaca.
Residents have dug out jars, furniture, even religious icons and statues and carted them to rooftops for safekeeping, though rescue teams fear that the roofs will cave in.
Using shovels and buckets, some people are still cleaning out mud, while hundreds more remain in shelters waiting for help promised by the provincial government to rebuild their homes.
President Mauricio Macri said Tuesday that climate change is to blame for the heavy rains and that the government will take on infrastructure work to prepare for destructive flooding.
___
Follow AP photographers and photo editors on Twitter: http://apne.ws/15Oo6jo
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
