​​​​​​​ISTANBUL 

Thousands of people have been affected by floods caused by heavy rains in western Venezuela, damaging dozens of homes, according to media reports.

Torrential rains that have been falling for days in the western states of Merida, Trujillo and Tachira, have caused flooding.

Authorities reported 8,400 people were evacuated because of the floods, with 25 bridges destroyed, and more than 150 homes seriously damaged.

President Nicolas Maduro said military and civilian resources had been dispatched to the disaster area and aid was being delivered.

The Jose Antonio Paez highway, which connects western states and is considered extremely strategic from an economic standpoint, has been closed to traffic due to the disaster.

Agricultural lands in some towns have been submerged and the public has suffered significant financial losses, according to preliminary reports.