Rain Damages Bridges, Stalls Traffic in Central America

Torrential rain and floods knocked down two bridges along the Pan-American Highway, blocking overland traffic throughout Central America, authorities in Honduras and Nicaragua said Sunday.

Dozens of people have been reported drowned in the past three weeks, and tens of thousands have had to evacuate their flooded homes since the unusually heavy rain started in early September.

A metal bridge spanning the Grande River near the southern town of Choluteca collapsed Saturday, blocking traffic to Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama, Honduras’ director of highways, Katia Pastor, said.

“One end of the bridge is underwater and now we have to extend it [60 feet], which will take a week,” said Juan Guevara, mayor of Choluteca.

The bridge was a temporary structure put up after tropical storm Mitch at the end of last October swept the original one away. Mitch killed 10,000 in its rampage through Central America, striking Honduras and Nicaragua particularly viciously.

Another bridge over the Negro River collapsed in neighboring Nicaragua--at Somotillo, northwest of the capital of Managua--further blocking traffic. At least 3,000 cars and trucks were stranded on both sides of that bridge since early Saturday, and 2,000 were stranded on the Honduran side.

Much of the freight in Central America is moved by truck, and a large portion of passengers use buses.

At least 21 people have died and 15,000 had to evacuate flooded homes in Honduras, by official count, since the rain began. Another 10 were reported to have died in Nicaragua, and 11 more in El Salvador, where 12,000 people had to leave their homes.

Nicaragua’s National Emergency Committee announced a red alert, which mobilizes rescue workers, opens refuges and allows the authorities to distribute food aid.

In Mexico, meanwhile, local media reported that the southeastern state of Tabasco and the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz had also employed emergency procedures.