Puerto Rico dam fails; evacuations begin along Guajataca River

(CNN)All people living near the Guajataca River in northwest Puerto Rico should evacuate immediately because of an "imminent dam break," the National Weather Service in San Juan said Friday afternoon.

"All Areas surrounding the Guajataca River should evacuate NOW. Their lives are in DANGER! Please SHARE!" an earlier tweet said.

About 70,000 people in the area of the Guajataca Dam have been told to evacuate, National Guard spokeswoman Yennifer Alvarez told CNN's Leyla Santiago. Buses have been brought in to help people leave.

Speaking on CNN's "Out Front" with Erin Burnett, Puerto Rican Secretary of State Luis Gerardo Rivera Marín said the evacuations are difficult because the island was heavily damaged by Hurricane Maria, which struck earlier this week. Many parts of Puerto Rico are flooded and more than 3 million people don't have electricity.