TEGUCIGALPA, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Hurricane Eta has left at least one person dead and more than 450 people homeless after lashing Honduras with strong winds and rain, local authorities said on Wednesday.
The Permanent Contingency Commission (Copeco) provided an overview of the damage late Tuesday, saying 38 communities were cut off by flooding, seven departments were still on red alert, six rivers overflowed and five bridges collapsed.
Copeco spokesperson Marvin Aparicio said about 25 people had been rescued from drowning in raging rivers and tributaries.
"Although the storm has weakened, it continues to pose a threat to our country, so great caution must be exercised," Copeco said via Twitter on Wednesday.
Copeco decided to extend a red alert for 48 hours in the northern departments of Cortes and Yoro, and maintain a red alert in Atlantida, Colon and Gracias a Dios, as well as the central islands of Bahia and Olancho.
Eta was expected to hit the eastern part of Honduras on Wednesday, although the exact trajectory of the storm was uncertain.
Copeco said that Eta had weakened into a tropical storm with sustained winds of 112 kilometers per hour. Enditem