Emergency companies are nonetheless trying to find survivors of Sunday's huge landslide in central Ecuador.
At the least 16 persons are recognized to have died and 16 extra are injured however extra are feared lacking, a minimum of seven, in line with the Threat Administration Secretariat (SNGR).
Mud engulfed a minimum of 163 properties within the small Andean group of Alausi affecting round 500 individuals.
Residents informed native media they heard tremors on the mountain earlier than the landslide, which is estimated to be about 150 meters broad.
Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso mentioned on Twitter that firefighters from neighbouring areas had been deployed to the village of Alausi in Chimborazo province, round 300 kilometres south of the capital, "to take care of the affected residents."
Pictures shared on native media confirmed dozens of rescuers and civilians attempting to clear particles by hand at midnight with solely torches for mild within the mountainous area.
The federal government mentioned it had mobilized the nationwide police, armed forces, the well being ministry and the Purple Cross to assist with the rescue efforts.
"We now have activated momentary lodging and mobilized sleeping kits for people who have misplaced their properties," mentioned a authorities assertion on Twitter.
An evacuation order has been made because of the imminent danger of latest landslides following extra rain.
Heavy rain this 12 months
Because the begin of the 12 months, heavy rains in Ecuador have led to the deaths of twenty-two individuals, destroyed 72 properties and broken greater than 6,900, in line with the SNGR.
The downpours have brought about near 1,000 harmful occasions, corresponding to landslides and flooding.
The realm affected by Sunday's catastrophe had been in a delegated "yellow alert" danger zone since February resulting from different landslides.
In February, heavy rains pressured oil pumping within the nation to be suspended for 5 days for security checks over fears that a main oil pipeline may have been broken by the collapse of a bridge.
Ecuador's Andean valleys can have a wet season that lasts from October till Could.
Earthquake hit the area final month
The landslide on Sunday got here simply over every week after 15 individuals, together with a Peruvian, had been killed when a powerful quake struck within the southwestern border area with Peru.
The earthquake, registered at a magnitude of 6.5 by native authorities, brought about 22 landslides that blocked roads within the provinces of El Oro and Azuay.
Afterwards, the federal government declared a two-month state of emergency in 13 of the nation's 24 provinces, permitting financial assets to be redistributed to affected areas.
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