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.

Torrential downpours, often accompanied by storms, have changed daily lives of many Peruvians. Hundreds of kilometers of roads have been cut off or blocked by flooding and landslides, while more than 100 bridges have collapsed across the country.

Flooding has claimed at least 72 lives as of Saturday and left about 72,000 people homeless.

More than 567,000 people have been affected and 119,000 buildings have been damaged.

It is predicted that natural