Quito.- Heavy rains caused a landslide today on a road in a tourist city in central Ecuador, leaving at least 6 dead and 30 people missing, firefighters reported.
The emergency occurred in the morning when a portion of the mountain fell away and covered part of the road that leads to the rural area of Río Verde.
“We know that four vehicles are affected, one of which is a bus, and two homes,” Captain Ángel Barriga, deputy chief of the Baños Fire Department, told The Associated Press.
Initially, Barriga indicated that five bodies had been recovered and nine injured people had been rescued, but he later told the AP that another body was found and that “approximately 30 people were trapped.”
The city of Baños -135 kilometers south of Quito- belongs to the province of Tungurahua, which receives a large influx of tourists due to its various attractions: rivers, trails and impressive waterfalls, among others. In addition, it is an access route to the Amazon region.
Barriga explained that the rescue tasks are complicated, since there were landslides in several additional areas. Meanwhile, the Ecuadorian Risk Secretariat reported flooding in various parts of the Andean country due to overflowing rivers.
The rain emergency occurs on a day when Ecuadorians celebrate Father’s Day and usually travel to different places of entertainment.
The Ministry of Tourism activated an assistance channel for tourists and service providers, in order to provide them with the attention and direct responses they require, it said in a statement.
#Landslide #leaves #dead #Ecuador
