Landslide kills two dozen people in Ecuador’s capital Quito

At least two dozen people died and a dozen are missing in a landslide in Ecuador’s capital Quito, as rescue operations are underway to search homes and streets covered by mud following the worst landslide in more than a decade.

Mayor of Quito Santiago Guarderas said, “It is the worst landslide in the last 10-15 years. As per the data shared by the country’s disaster management agency, 48 people were injured. All the government agencies are working hard in the rescue and relief operations.”

The mud in many cases was as high as 4 meters and swept away vehicles, trash cans, and other debris. Rescue crews have requested silence in the area to hear the screams of people who may be trapped, with Quito police also saying that more bodies could be found. Nearly 70% out of Quito’s 26 lakh population have taken to temporary shelters, with some residents receiving treatment for hypothermia. Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has expressed his condolences to those affected by the landslide. Lasso tweeted, “We continue to work in search and rescue, containment actions, psychological care and the transfer of injured people to the hospital.”

Local media had also reported that torrential rains caused a build-up of water in a gorge near the working-class neighbourhoods of La Gasca and La Comuna, sending mud and rocks down on residences and affecting electricity. A local resident said, “We saw this immense black river that was dragging along everything, we had to climb the walls to escape, I also had to evacuate two young daughters from home.”

Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of further landslides. The mayor’s office has set up shelters for affected families and has started clearing streets in the city. In recent times, Ecuador is facing heavy rains in several areas, which have caused rivers to overflow and affected hundreds of homes and roads. Rains in Quito on Monday were equivalent to 75 litres per square meter, the highest in nearly two decades.