FLOODING IN VENEZUELA LEAVES TOWN COVERED IN MUD;AT LEAST 36 DEAD

Rescuers search for at least 56 people reported missing after heavy rains hit Las Tejerías.

Flooding and mudslides have killed at least 36 people in a Venezuelan industrial town, authorities said Monday, as rescue teams searched through sludge and debris for dozens of people reported missing.

Aid groups warned that the death toll could rise further amid rescue efforts in the north-central town of Las Tejerías, where mud covered whole neighborhoods during torrential rain over the weekend. 

Interior Minister Remigio Ceballos said at least 56 people have been reported missing in the town and surrounding region.