Nearly 5,600 displaced and at least 21 killed by heavy rains in Venezuela

At least 21 people have died in Venezuela as a result of mudslides and flooding, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency in the capital and three states where thousands of families have been displaced, Vice President Elias Jaua said.

Landslides destroyed homes in Caracas overnight, killing at least two people and blocking some roads leading to the capital, Jaqueline Faria, head of the Capital District said on state television today. A local government official and a policeman were swept away by a river in northern Vargas state and at least two people were killed in Miranda state, according to Bloomberg.

Vice President Elias Jaua said 5,600 people were forced to leave their homes because of the rains.

Most of the oil-producing state of Falcon was hit by flooding, which caused a small oil spill near the Cardon and Amuay refineries, which have a combined capacity of 955,000 barrels per day.

The main units of Amuay, which can produce 645,000 bpd, restarted on Tuesday, a source at the refinery complex said. Cardon will take up to 10 days to operate normally after a power cut knocked out its industrial services on Monday, Toronto Sun reports.