At least 51 people have died, eight people are missing and more than 378 thousand families have been affected by heavy rains and floods in Bolivia, IPN reports.

Bolivia's President Luis Alberto Arce Catacora declared a state of national emergency in the wake of the storms. The rains caused flooding and other damage in all nine departments of the country, CNN en español reports.

"These rains, according to the reports we have from Senamhi (National System of Meteorology and Hydrology), have not been recorded in the country for more than 40 years. We are therefore facing a complex situation," said the Bolivian leader.

The national state of emergency aims to speed up work in the areas in need, allow the government to make extraordinary purchases, seek international funding and develop a repair plan once the crisis is over.

Bolivia's rainy season usually starts in November and ends in April the following year.

Photo source: EFE/ Juan Carlos Torrejón