Six people died, ten others were injured and there are thirty missing this Sunday after a land displacement in Baños de Agua Santa, a town less than 200 kilometers south of Quito, Ecuador. The figures were released by the National Secretariat for Risk Management (SNGR), while work continues to rescue more victims.
Between heavy rains recorded in the Andean region From Ecuador, the avalanche shook El Placer, a tourist town in Baños de Agua Santa, in the province of Tungurahua, where the volcano that bears the same name rises.
“Due to the rains recorded in the sector, a landslide of magnitude occurred that completely affects the main road, affecting people and machinery that were working in the sector,” added the SNGR, in reference to the closure of different accesses that connect the affected locality with others from the Andean and Amazonian regions of Ecuador.
Despite what is indicated by the SNGR and rightly so, they are still carrying out rescue work in a complex climate context.local police indicated that the number of deaths could rise to nine due to the avalanche, and reported that a bridge on the local route is at risk due to the increase in the flow of the Pastaza River. It was also reported that landslides have been recorded near that place that affected other surrounding towns.
In other parts of the country there are similar situations: in the Andean province of Chimborazo, the overflowing of the Puela River was reported; in the Palitahua area a bridge collapsed and where there are homes at risk; The overflowing of the Chimbo River, in the same region, has caused the evacuation of 55 tourists in the Guso sector.
Also on the Chimborazo volcano, which gives its name to the province, snow and hail were recorded, which flooded the access roads leading to the city of Riobamba. The accumulation of hail has prevented the passage of vehicles on that road, the source added, specifying that the road has been closed to traffic.
In the Amazonian province of Morona Santiago, in the southeast of the country, the flooding of the Tutanangoza River undermined the foundations of the one-way bridge. Other overflowing rivers are the Malicuaba, the Palora, the Oyacachi, the Tigre, the Burcay and the Copueno, which affected other areas of central Ecuador.
Both alternate and primary roads were damaged by the storms. In the Andean province of Pichincha, whose capital is Quito, it was the Pisque River that overflowed, which also caused land displacement and the total flooding of regional routes.
According to the local newspaper El Universo, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism reported that several mechanisms were activated to provide assistance to all tourists and tourism service providers.
Also due to the heavy rains and the growth of the rivers mentioned above, three hydroelectric plants were disabledso many other citizens are without electricity supply.
With information from EFE and AP
