Death toll from Ecuador landslide rises to 22, dozens injured

Residents are seen in an area of a landslide as firefighter rescue crews continue searching homes and streets covered by mud in Quito, Ecuador, February 1, 2022. (REUTERS)

QUITO  – The death toll following a landslide in Ecuador’s capital Quito rose on Tuesday to at least 22 people, with 47 reported injured so far, Mayor Santiago Guarderas said, as firefighter rescue crews continue searching homes and streets covered by mud.

Torrential rains on Monday night caused a build-up of water in a gorge near the working class neighborhoods of La Gasca and La Comuna, sending mud and rocks down on residences and affecting electricity provision.

“As of now, 22 deceased have been taken to the morgue; 47 have been injured, two of them are in critical condition,” Guarderas, told reporters.

“There are reports of 20 missing,” he added.

The updated figures are higher than those reported late on Monday, when nine people were recorded missing, with 32 injured.

“We saw this immense black river that was dragging along everything, we had to climb the walls to escape,” said resident Alba Cotacachi, who evacuated her two young daughters from their home. “We are looking for the disappeared.”

Social media videos showed a muddy river flowing through neighborhood streets, carrying with it trees, vehicles, dumpsters and even electricity poles, as residents screamed for help.

Other images showed some people being rescued from the current by neighbors.

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.

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 liters per square meter, the highest figure in nearly two decades.

gsg