The president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, has declared three days of mourning starting this Monday in tribute to the more than 20 people who have died so far due to the heavy torrential rains that hit the Caribbean country.
Abinader has signed a presidential decree in which he confirms the measure, valid until Wednesday. The Dominican national flag will fly at half-mast at military installations and public buildings throughout the country.
Previously, the president had already expressed his condolences to the families of the victims on his official social networks and had stressed the “solidarity” of the State with the population after inclement weather that also left many missing.
The Emergency Operations Center of the Dominican Republic (COE) has so far confirmed the death of at least 21 people, most of them in Santo Domingo, as a result of the heavy rains that have hit the country since last Friday.
Previously, the authorities had declared 29 provinces on alert due to the storms – eleven on red alert, 14 on yellow alert and five on green alert – which have also caused the displacement of more than 1,500 people throughout the country.
The National Meteorological Office has reported that rainfall will continue to fall throughout this week, although with less intensity.
