More deaths after floods in Canada

Heavy rains at the start of the week with landslides and floods as a result hit British Columbia in western Canada hard.

Mike Farnworth, the minister in charge of security for the county, said at a news conference Friday that authorities are now pushing for restrictions on where residents can drive and how much fuel they can buy.

The floods make it difficult to get supplies to affected areas and fuel is required for rescue and service vehicles.

30 liters max

– We’re asking people not to travel through hard-hit areas – for their own safety but also to ensure that available fuel goes to services people need, he says.

Residents will only be able to refuel their cars with 30 liters of fuel.

These measures will maintain transport continuity, stabilize supply chains and ensure everyone can return home safely, he says.

All major roads to and from the area around Vancouver, the nation’s third largest city, were cut off during the week. Defense has been called in since Wednesday to clear roads of debris and in the city of Abbotsford, barriers have been built to protect the town from more rain expected next week.

More victims

A woman was found dead earlier this week in the town of Pemberton, and on Saturday the remains of three men were found in the area. One person is still missing.

Over the course of a few months, Canada was exposed to several different extreme weather events. The first heat wave was in June with temperatures of 49 degrees. Forest fires followed.

Scorched earth is now unable to absorb rain, which means that masses of water quickly flow into flooded lakes and streams and cause major problems in built-up areas and in traffic.

Extreme weather is linked and can be attributed to climate change, John Clagg, a professor in Simon Fraser University’s Department of Earth Sciences, told the AP News Agency on Thursday.