At least six people have died, and 19 others have been injured following a landslide triggered by heavy rains in Banos de Agua Santa, central Ecuador. The National Secretariat for Risk Management initially reported 30 missing persons, but they have since been located.
The landslide, which occurred on Sunday, unleashed a torrent of mud and debris down a hillside. It flooded highways and cut off access to parts of the city. Videos and images online captured the scenes of the mudslide’s destruction. Authorities have deployed heavy machinery to clear the roads.
Mayor Miguel Guevara urged residents to avoid dangerous roads as crews work to clear the area and search for any additional victims. Banos, a popular tourist destination known for its proximity to the Amazon jungle and Ecuador’s volcanoes, lies about 135 km south of Quito by air.
In response to the disaster, the Ecuadorian military assisted in evacuating citizens in the nearby canton of Chambo, where a river overflowed due to the intense rains. The storm also disrupted operations at three hydroelectric plants, according to Roberto Luque, Ecuador’s minister of public works.
Heavy rains have recently caused widespread issues across Central and South America and prompted landslide and flooding warnings in several countries. Earlier this week, two children died in a landslide in El Salvador, where a red alert for heavy rains was declared.
Read more: Papua New Guinea: Over 2,000 Possibly Buried Alive In Massive Landslide
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