of the British Broadcasting Corporation
Wednesday, 7 May, 2003, 14:06
GMT 15:06 UK
Hundreds missing in Argentine floods
Many of the missing may be stranded
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More than 1,700 people are missing following last week's disastrous floods in Santa Fe province of north-eastern Argentina.
The Santa Fe city prosecutor, Cintia Gomez, has asked for an investigation to be launched into the whereabouts of 1,775 people sought by their families.
The head of the Red Cross for Latin America, Santiago Gil, says that the situation in the province is still "chaotic" but that humanitarian aid is arriving.
Twenty-three people are now confirmed dead after Santa Fe province received 1.5 metres of rainfall in just two days - twice the annual average rainfall.
The ensuing floods were the worst the province has experienced for 500 years.
At least 35,000 people were evacuated and a similar number are thought to have left under their own steam.
But the names of those missing do not figure on the official government lists of those in temporary shelters.
Call for search
Ms Gomez has called for army and police operating in the province to mount a systematic search and rescue effort, according to La Nacion newspaper.
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He said humanitarian aid was beginning to arrive in the province, including food, milk products for babies, clothes, nappies and mattresses.
"Neither the population nor the authorities were prepared for this," he told the BBC.
Temperature drop
The local authorities, however, say they could not have foreseen floods on this scale.
There are now fears that water-borne illnesses could sweep the population, and paramedics have been visiting emergency settlements to administer vaccinations.
A sudden temperature drop on Tuesday resulted in several cases of hypothermia and increased fears for those stranded or in inadequate accommodation.
The desperation caused by Argentina's economic crisis has aggravated the situation, with looting and thefts of aid reported.
