State of emegency declared as Nazca hit by severe flooding and landslides

Torrential rains caused landslides and severe flooding across rural Peru on Thursday.

In Nazca, the Aja River overflowed, swallowed farmland and destroyed homes while collapsing bridges left residents stranded.

Firefighters rushed to rescue those trapped as the floodwaters surged. Many farmers initially refused to evacuate, fearing looters, but were eventially forced to flee as water levels rose.

Peru declared a state of emergency in 157 districts as relentless rains continue to wreak havoc.