At least 21 people have died in the Dominican Republic after heavy rain over the weekend which displaced thousands of residents, officials say.
An investigation has been launched after nine people died when torrential rain caused a highway tunnel wall to collapse in the capital Santo Domingo.
More than 13,000 people were evacuated to secure areas after heavy downpours
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The Emergency Operations Center (COE) said rain caused flooded homes, power cuts and damaged bridges and roads.
Three children were among those killed.
Dominican President Luis Abinader called it the “largest rainfall event ever” in the country’s history, following torrential storms over the past 48 hours.
The Caribbean nation has been battered by torrential rainfall with footage on social media showing torrents of water flowing through streets and washing away vehicles.
It added that 45 communities were without communication as of Sunday afternoon.
The rainfall, which resulted from a tropical depression, is expected to continue across parts of the country into Monday, the US embassy said.
A majority of the nation’s 32 provinces remain under red and yellow weather alerts, it added.
