At least 24 people died in a landslide in the Ecuadorean capital, Quito, and 12 others were missing, Ecuadorean Mayor Santiago Guarderas said on Tuesday, while rescue teams searched homes and mud-covered streets after the country’s worst flood. Almost two decades.
Heavy rains Monday night caused water to accumulate in a narrow lane near the working-class neighborhoods of La Gasca and La Comuna, dumping mud and rocks on homes and affecting electricity supply.
The country’s disaster management agency said 48 people were injured.
“We saw this huge black river that was running along everything, and we had to climb up walls to escape,” said resident Alba Cotacachi, who evacuated her two young daughters from their home. “We are looking for the disappeared,” according to Reuters.
Footage obtained by Reuters showed a man struggling to free himself from the flowing muddy water on a residential street. Reuters witnesses said the man was swept away as residents screamed for help.
Other videos showed torrents sweeping through trees, vehicles, garbage cans and even electricity poles, while some people were rescued from the muddy water by neighbors.
The authorities did not rule out the possibility of more landslides. The mayor’s office set up shelters for affected families and began clearing streets in the city.
Ecuador is facing torrential rains in several regions, which have caused rivers to overflow and affected hundreds of homes and roads.
Rain in Quito on Monday equaled 75 liters per square metre, the highest in nearly two decades.
HF