Ecuador: Heavy Rains Leave 17 Dead in the Andean Zone So Far
Truck destroyed by a landslide in Ecuador, June, 2024. Photo: X/ @GamaNoticiasEc
June 19, 2024 Hour: 10:00 am
At least 1,395 people have been affected across 13 provinces of this South American country.
On Tuesday, the National Risk Management Secretariat (SNGR) confirmed that 17 Ecuadorians have died, 5 people are still missing, and 29 citizens were injured as a result of heavy rains and landslides that have shaken the Andean region since June 14.
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Most of the fatalities occurred after the landslide that devastated an area near the tourist city of Baños de Agua Santa, in the province of Tungurahua, on Sunday. So far, 13 people have been reported dead and 25 injured in that incident.
Three deaths have been reported in the province of Chimborazo, and one person died in the province of Cotopaxi. The SNGR has also recorded 41 affected homes, 11 destroyed homes, 32.79 kilometers of damaged roads, 3 destroyed bridges, 7 bridges with damages, and one health center with damage.
So far, 1,395 people have been affected by severe rains in 36 cantons across 13 provinces of the country. The most affected provinces in the Ecuadorian highlands are Tungurahua and Chimborazo. In the Amazon region, the provinces of Morona Santiago and Napo have been the hardest hit.
In recent days, the most frequent natural events have been landslides, accounting for 39 percent of the total recorded emergencies. Floods represented 22 percent, and mudslides 18 percent.
Authorities have kept three temporary shelters open in Tungurahua. Since last Friday, the municipalities of Penipe in Chimborazo and Baños in Tungurahua have been declared in “State of Emergency.”
Since June 16, the SNGR has recorded 14 river overflows in the provinces of Tungurahua (5), Morona Santiago (3), Cañar (2), Pastaza (2), and Pichincha (1). Additionally, six rivers have been recorded with rising levels in Tungurahua (4), Sucumbios (1), and Morona Santiago (1).
Source: EFE
teleSUR/ JF
