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Heavy rains in the Dominican Republic claimed the lives of at least 21 people over the weekend, according to media reports. In addition to the 21 deaths confirmed by the National Civil Protection COE, there are at least eight more deaths, the newspaper “Diario Libre” wrote on Sunday (local time) based on its own information. The heavy rain caused flooding in several provinces of the country, located in the east of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

On Saturday alone, nine people were killed when walls collapsed on a street in the capital Santo Domingo, dumping rubble on five cars, El Nacional newspaper reported. In a post on Facebook, President Luis Abinader spoke of the heaviest rainfall in the country’s history. According to him, schools should remain closed on Mondays and Tuesdays for safety reasons. Experts must therefore examine the buildings for any damage.

The dead also included Americans, Haitians and several children, El Nacional reported. The National Civil Protection warned residents, among other things, not to cross rivers and streams. The highest alert level remained in force for 14 provinces due to the risk of flooding, especially in the south of the country. Haiti is located in the west of the island of Hispaniola. (sda/dpa)