Peru: State of emergency declared due to heavy snow

The Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency to cope with unusually cold weather and heavy snowfall in many regions of the country. Local officials say at least two people have died and 33,000 others have been affected by the cold spell, and tens of thousands of animals - including sheep, llamas, cows and alpacas -  have frozen to death in the past week. An official statement said that the state of emergency will be in place for 20 days. Peruvian President Ollanta Humala has traveled to Apurimac, one of the worst-affected areas, to oversee the distribution of emergency aid. One man died when the roof of his hut caved in under the weight of the snow in the southern Carabaya province, and a second person also died - the circumstances of their death are not known. Three people were rescued in the same region on Saturday, after their home was cut off by snow. Rescue workers said the three people - two girls and an elderly woman - were suffering from frostbite and snow blindness. The extremely cold weather has also hit Peru's neighbor's Bolivia and Paraguay, where a combined total of 5 people have lost their lives.