Flooding in Bolivia’s eastern Santa Cruz region has killed at least 20 people after an overflowing river swept through multiple communities, authorities said on Monday, with the toll expected to increase as rescue teams reach areas that were previously inaccessible.

Deputy Civil Defence Minister Alfredo Troche said at least two dozen people are still missing, while hundreds of families have been displaced following several days of heavy rainfall. Speaking to state broadcaster Bolivia TV, Troche said 16 additional bodies had been recovered, bringing the confirmed number of fatalities to 20.

Rescue efforts have been complicated by damaged infrastructure. Authorities said at least 300 people have been evacuated by helicopter, while around 2,100 families have been affected in communities along the Pirai River. Heavy rains began early on Saturday, according to the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service.

Authorities said weather conditions are expected to improve in the coming days, which could assist rescue operations as water levels recede. Meteorologists have warned that the combined effects of El Niño and La Niña are contributing to heavier rainfall across the Amazon basin.

President Rodrigo Paz, who took office last month, met with cabinet members and scientific advisers on Sunday to assess the situation.

He criticised previous administrations for leaving the country inadequately prepared for emergencies and said decades of deforestation had intensified the impact of flooding, noting that Bolivia lost 10.4 million hectares to fires in 2014 during its worst wildfire crisis on record.

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