People wade through flooded streets as the water starts subsiding in La Plata, located 63 km south of Buenos Aires, on 3 April 2013 after a powerful storm pummeled the Argentine capital overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. Photo: Daniel Garcia / AFP / Getty Images

7 April 2013 (Voice of Russia) – The material damage from the recent flood in La Plata, Argentina, exceeds $500 million, according to a report just released by the city authorities.
 
51 people died and more than 350,000 were displaced and almost one-fouth of local buildings were damaged by a long spate of torrential rains that pummeled the city located 60 km from the capital Buenos Aires. On Friday President Christina Fernandez de Kirschner promised financial assistance to the victims including one-off payments of $850 to retires with minimal pensions, child and maternity benefits will be doubled and families who whose houses were damaged will get $13,000 each for reconstruction and other urgent needs. The Argentinian government has promised to take steps to help people affected by the floods that occurred this week. About 60 people died in the flood. Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announced that child allowances for low-income families will be doubled for some time. Additional payments are also to be given to those who receive the minimal pension. According to the Argentinian president, these measures will have a positive effect on the life of 150,000 people. On Friday people went into the streets of La Plata, a city which was the worst hit by floods. The people demanded support from the government. Pope Francis has donated $50,000 to help victims of the deadly floods that struck his native Argentina this week, the Vatican’s diplomatic mission said Friday. At least 59 people died in the record rains and flooding that deluged Buenos Aires and the nearby city of La Plata. Of those killed, 51 died in La Plata, a bustling university town of about one million inhabitants. Francis gave the Archdiocese of La Plata the funds “so it can be destined for emergency aid to flood victims,” the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA) reported. One of the most heavily flooded parts of La Plata was the downtown area around the cathedral, where part of an avenue was named after the new pope. [more]

Argentina flood damage exceeds $500 mln – report