Nicolás Maduro toured affected areas during cleaning and search for bodies in Tejerías | Photo: EFE/Miguel Gutiérrez​

Caracas, October 13 (RHC)-- The number of people killed in the landslide in the town of Las Tejerías, in the Venezuelan state of Aragua, increased to 43, according to President Nicolas Maduro.

"Thirty-nine bodies have been rescued; may God accompany and give much strength to their relatives.  There is still an important number of missing people, 56 missing, we are reaching almost a hundred fatal victims of this tragedy, of this natural disaster", said Maduro during an address broadcasted through the state channel Venezolana de Televisión.

For her part, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez highlighted that 95 percent of the electric service was recovered in the affected area.  "We have removed more than 800 trucks of sediment from this area. The recovery of the electric service in the area is 95 percent, which is very important; likewise, we must point out that there is recovery of telephone lines of private companies, they are working and Movilnet and Cantv, which suffered very significant damages and their stations were swept away by the river, are about to be recovered," she commented.

Rodríguez pointed out that out of 19 water wells, eight were recovered and said they are working on the four most important ones so that within three days, they will be able to re-establish the service by direct pipeline.   He also stated that 39 families who lost their homes were relocated to shelters.

More than 400 families lost their homes in this locality, according to the Government.   Maduro announced the allocation of an economic benefit, through the governmental Sistema Patria, for the affected families.

The overflowing of five streams caused the landslide due to heavy rainfall in Las Tejerías on October 8th.  Maduro declared Las Tejerías a disaster and catastrophe zone and decreed three days of mourning.