At least eleven people have died in Quito after a mudslide that affected some neighborhoods in the west of the Ecuadorian capital, which was hit by a heavy downpour on Monday, with record rainfall, authorities have reported. The mayor of Quito, Santiago Guarderas, informed in a press conference that the natural phenomenon left eleven people dead, fifteen injured, eight structures (houses) collapsed and the roof of a sports field was destroyed. However, residents and some media outlets warned that the death toll could increase as the debris removal work progresses.
Units of firefighters, police, health care and the Armed Forces, among other institutions, participate in rescue tasks, debris removal and care for affected citizens in the avalanche area. According to the mayor, the storm that fell on Quito on Monday reached record rainfall, with 75 liters per square meter, when only two liters per square meter were expected. This volume, said the mayor, represents a record figure in almost two decades, since a similar volume of rainfall had only been recorded in 2003.
⚠️ [Actualización]
📌 Flood damage in Quito:
• 200 people affected
• 11 people deceased
• 9 missing persons
• 32 people injured
• 10 power poles collapsed
• 1 electrical power substation affected (Miraflores)– Ecuador Risks (@Riesgos_Ec) February 1, 2022
The alluvium caused by the storm overwhelmed the capacity of the catchment and reservoir infrastructures for the rainwater that descends from the Pichincha volcano, which rises to the west of the city, Guarderas said. The current swept away everything in its path and when it reached the populated part, in the sector called La Comuna, it collided with the enclosure of a sports field, at the time when several citizens were practicing sports, the mayor said. In addition, the avalanche went down the hillside to the La Gasca neighborhood, where it even dragged vehicles that were parked, according to images captured by residents at the time of the natural phenomenon.
Government, state and local government entities have collaborated with solidarity aid for the Municipality of Quito, added Guarderas, specifying that crews with specialized personnel are in place to attend to the emergency. The Vice President of Ecuador, Alfredo Borrero, accompanied by collaborators, attended the headquarters of the Emergency Operations Committee (COE) of the Quito Metropolitan District, where the press conference was held, to offer the help of the Government. Also Paola Pabón, prefect of the province of Pichincha, whose capital is Quito, assured that her entity has arranged the use of machinery and personnel to collaborate in the emergency, and remarked that other neighboring municipalities have also joined the task.
👨🏻🚒 At this time, our team maintains search and recovery operations for missing persons.
[2/2] ⬆️ pic.twitter.com/SwHn8WAeIj
– Quito Firefighters (@FirefightersQuito) February 1, 2022
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The heavy downpour that fell on Monday in the capital coincided with a wave of storms that have affected much of the country, especially some provinces in the Andean highlands and the coastal area. According to reports from the Integrated Citizen Security Service ECU-911, some areas of the Andean provinces of Cotopaxi and the coastal province of Los Ríos have been affected by overflowing rivers.
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