Rains, river overflow flood homes

Heavy overnight rains and an overflow at the mouth of the Berbice River have left several homes and other buildings under water in parts of New Amsterdam near Guyana's Atlantic coast, 99 kilometres (62 miles) southeast of here. This is according to media reports.

New Amsterdam is one of the largest and most flood-prone towns in this low-lying coastal state. It lies on the east bank of the Berbice River and four miles upriver from the Atlantic ocean.

The Demerara Waves online news service quoted the head of local government for the area as saying that thousands of people have been affected as houses close to the river bank were inundated, forcing many to flee their homes.

The chairman for the East Berbice-Corentyne region, David Armogan, told the news service that he will ask the central government in Georgetown for assistance in fumigating homes against mosquitoes and preventing water-borne diseases.

The New Amsterdam Market was also under several feet of water as stallholders who stocked their items on the floor have suffered severe losses, Demerara Waves said.

There were reports of a major breach of the river bank defences at Islington, just south of New Amsterdam, which left some homes under more than a metre (three feet) of water.

It said residents suffered 'severe losses' of livestock, farms and household items.

Wednesday's heavy rains were forecast to continue Thursday.