Story highlights Weeks of rain have swelled rivers across the country

President: "We know it is a difficult situation'

(CNN) The death toll in Peru's flooding and mudslides reached 72 over the weekend, according to state-run news agency Andina.

More than half a million people in and around the country's capital, Lima, have been affected by storms and flooding, authorities said. "We know it is a difficult situation, but we are controlling it, and we are hopeful that it will soon pass," President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said Monday.

Weeks of rain have caused rivers across the country to rise and people to flee since the rainy season began earlier this month. Several cities have declared states of emergency.

Rainy season could last 2 more weeks

Amateur video showed one woman's dramatic escape in Punta Hermosa, a suburb of Lima.

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