Six days after a landslide caused by heavy rains in Ecuador, the death toll continues to rise. As the authorities of the South American country announced yesterday (local time), 27 people have been found dead at the scene of the accident in Alausi in southern Ecuador. 67 people are still missing and the search will continue.
On Monday night, a huge part of a mountain fell on a residential area on the outskirts of the 45,000-inhabitant city of Alausi in the province of Chimborazo, around 300 kilometers south of Quito. The masses of mud covered more than 160 houses. According to the civil protection authority, a total of 850 people were affected by the accident.
The rescue work was extremely difficult. Local residents and rescue workers searched the rubble with the help of search dogs. They dug partly with their bare hands in the mud masses.
Heavy rain and flooding since January
A disaster warning has been in effect in the region around Alausi since February due to previous landslides. Since January there has been repeated heavy rain and flooding in Ecuador.
