At least 16 die in Ecuador landslide

Quito, Mar 27 (EFE).- At least 16 people have died in Ecuador after a landslide in Alausi, a city in the Andes mountains, officials said Monday.

A statement from the Ecuadorian risk management secretariat said that in addition to the fatalities, 16 people were injured by Sunday night’s landslide, while half a million people were affected.

The provincial governor, Ivan Vinueza, said it was unclear how many people had been buried as rescue efforts were being hampered after heavy rainfall in recent days.

The landslide has also cut off access roads to the site, he added.

Ecuadorian authorities said that 163 dwellings were affected, while officials were still evaluating how many have been destroyed.

Firefighters from eight cities in Ecuador and search and rescue teams from Quito and Cuenca have been deployed to the area.

Police from Alausi and Riobamba, another city in Chimborazo province, are also assisting in rescue operations.

Three temporary shelters have been set up with 100 beds, mattresses and sleeping kits for the victims of the landslide. EFE

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