At least six people have been killed and 19 others injured in Ecuador after heavy rainstorms triggered a landslide, according to Al Jazeera. The National Secretariat for Risk Management reported that the deadly mudslide occurred on Sunday in the central Ecuadorian city of Baños de Agua Santa. Initially, authorities stated that 30 additional people were missing but later announced they had been found.
Heavy machinery has been dispatched to clear the roads, per Al Jazeera’s report. Miguel Guevara, the mayor of Baños, urged locals to avoid dangerous roads and mentioned that efforts were underway to clear the northern coast region to facilitate further searches.
Baños is a popular tourist destination known for its volcanoes and craters and serves as a gateway to Amazon jungle adventures. It is approximately 135 kilometers (84 miles) south of Quito by plane and 186 kilometers (115 miles) by car.
In the canton of Chambo, the Ecuadorian military worked with emergency services to evacuate residents after heavy rains caused a nearby river to overflow. Roberto Luque, Ecuador’s Minister of Public Works, noted that the storm affected operations at three hydroelectric plants. “My solidarity with all the families that have been affected,” Luque wrote on X.
Recent rainstorms have swept across Central and South America, raising concerns about potential flooding, rock falls, and landslides. Earlier this week, a landslide in El Salvador claimed the lives of two children, prompting the civil protection agency to issue a red alert due to severe rains.