SAN SALVADOR – The estimated damage caused by the Nov. 7-8 floods and mudslides to El Salvador’s infrastructure has climbed to $880 million, the country’s public works minister said Tuesday.

Gerson Martinez told Channel 33 local television that the figure includes damage to strategic and secondary bridges and to some 3,000 kilometers (1,900 miles) of highway, but does not include damage to schools and clinics.

The weekend of torrential rains associated with Hurricane Ida left 196 dead and 78 missing.

The deputy housing minister, Edin Martinez, said on Channel 33 that “a total of 3,000 homes” were damaged.

“Faced with this situation we have to take action and come up with a concrete response...with regard to temporary shelters,” he said.

He said that together with local authorities they will study the most suitable areas for installing temporary shelters.

Meanwhile, authorities said that more than 180 kilometers (112 miles) of power lines were affected by the downpours, and that the damage in that sector was estimated at $850,000.

Available information indicated that most of the 103,000 users who had electricity outages because of the storm have had their power restored.

Rains lashed five of the nation’s 14 provinces, and 10 days after the tragedy, the work of removing rubble and searching for missing persons continues. EFE