Landslide in Ecuador kills at least six, 30 others missing
Reuters
June 17, 2024 11:19 MYT
June 17, 2024 11:19 MYT
Workers using heavy machinery are removing debris from the road. - Screengrab/REUTERS
QUITO: A landslide in Ecuador killed at least six people and left 30 others missing, according to preliminary information from Ecuadorian authorities on Sunday.
The "large-magnitude" landslide occurred in the center of the country in the city of Banos de Agua Santa, the Ecuadorean Secretariat for Risk Management said in a report.
"My solidarity with all the families that have been affected," wrote Roberto Luque, Ecuador's minister of public works, on the social media platform X.
A heavy rainstorm caused by low pressure swept across parts of Central and South America on Sunday, with various countries warning of the increased risk of landslides, rock falls and flooding.
In El Salvador, the country's civil protection agency declared a red alert due to heavy rains throughout the small nation, while in neighboring Guatemala several airlines diverted flights, according to the Guatemalan ministry of communications, infrastructure and housing.