"The number of people who died after being swept away by landslides that affected the town of Secocha and other localities in the province of Camaná, in the Arequipa region, has risen to 40," the media outlet said on its web page.

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Citing sources from the Civil Defense Institute of Arequipa, the landslide swept away a total of 200 houses in this Andean mining area, which is affected by the rainy season.

Previously, the National Civil Defense Institute officially reported eight deaths and five missing persons, although it did not rule out that the death toll could rise.