LA PAZ, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rains in Bolivia have claimed 23 lives since November and displaced over 109,000 families in eight of the country's nine departments, an official said Wednesday.

In the past week alone, the death toll rose from 19 to 23 due to flooding in the departments of Chuquisaca (south), La Paz (west), Tarija (south), Cochabamba (center), Santa Cruz (east) and Potosi (southwest), Deputy Minister of Civil Defense Juan Carlos Calvimontes told a press conference, adding two people are reported missing.

Also in the past week, the number of families driven from their homes or affected by flooding increased from 84,029 to 109,156, underscoring the scale of the natural disaster.

Since November, 76 municipalities and 1,314 communities have been affected, with 652 homes damaged, including 332 that were completely destroyed, the deputy minister said.

The department of La Paz declared a state of emergency last month due to severe flooding in several municipalities.

Rains are expected to continue, according to the National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology, the official warned. ■