19-year-old Swiss woman dies in an accident in Nicaragua
Keystone-SDA
A 19-year-old Swiss woman has died in an accident in Nicaragua. She drowned along with two other women after their car was swept away while they were attempting to cross a flood-swollen river.
The announcement was made on Friday by Nicaragua’s co-president, Rosario Murillo, in a government statement broadcast by the state-run broadcaster Canal 4. As of Saturday morning, the Swiss foreign ministry had not yet confirmed the reports.
According to Murillo, the incident happened in the early hours of the morning in the north-western department of Chinandega. The other victims were a 24-year-old French woman and a 19-year-old Nicaraguan hotel employee.
The group were travelling in a pick-up truck and were attempting to cross a river when the vehicle was swept away by floodwater after heavy rain caused the river to burst its banks.
Murillo expressed her condolences to the victims’ families and said the government stood in solidarity with them. She urged people to follow weather warnings closely during the rainy season and said the authorities and tourism board would strengthen safety measures and warnings for hotels.
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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
