At least 16 people died in Ecuador after a landslide in a small town in the Andean zone that affected dozens of homes, the country’s risk office said on Monday, amid heavy rains and harsh winter conditions.
A large amount of earth fell on Sunday night in a sector of the city of Alausí, in the province of Chimborazo, affecting some 500 people and 163 homes, according to a preliminary report from the Risk Secretariat.
Another 16 people were injured and seven more are missing.
“We have had to witness a terrible tragedy,” Transport Minister Dario Herrera told Reuters in Alausí. “The first thing is to get to care and evacuate people from the homes.”
IN PHOTOS: 16 people dead and dozens affected by landslide in Ecuador
More than 163 homes were affected, according to reports. Winter has hit different areas of the South American country hard.
The country’s Risk Secretariat declared a 247-hectare area in Alausí on a yellow alert in February because it had been identified as susceptible to mass movements, such as landslides or subsidence.
Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtubeand activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and instagram
