Rains leave trail of death and destruction in Peru

It is forecast natural disasters could cost the country up to $500 million

LIMA - Peru is facing a critical situation as heavy rains caused by the El Nino phenomenon have been battering the country for weeks, leaving a trail of death and devastation.

The government has declared an emergency in some 800 districts in the northwestern regions of Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque and La Libertad, the capital and in the southern provinces of Ica and Arequipa.