Ecuador: Rainy Season Leaves 20 Dead So Far
Bridge washed away by rain in Daule, Ecuador, March 19, 2025. X/ @PeriodicoGN
March 20, 2025 Hour: 10:10 am
Thousands of people are affected, mainly in the coastal provinces.
On Wednesday, the National Secretariat for Risk Management (SNGR) acknowledged that the heavy rains experienced in recent weeks have left over 14,000 people displaced, 111,000 affected, 20 dead, and 96 injured.
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So far, 8 out of 24 provinces are in a state of emergency: Guayas, Los Rios, Manabi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, and Santa Elena in the coastal region; and Loja and Azuay in the Andean region.
The vast majority of affected individuals are located in Manabi (66,000), Guayas (19,000), and Los Rios (19,000). So far, over 31,500 homes have been damaged to some extent, while 143 houses have been completely destroyed.
The SNGR also confirmed the destruction of 12 bridges, functional damage to another 33 bridges, and damage to nearly 500 schools.
In rural areas, nearly 50,000 animals have died, and more than 10,000 hectares of crops have been lost, while an additional 7,500 hectares have sustained lesser degrees of damage.
Among the most frequent incidents caused by the rains are landslides (41%), floods (39%), structural collapses (5%), soil erosion (5%), strong winds (5%), and mudslides (3%).
Meteorologists warn that heavy rainfall will continue with varying intensity, particularly along the Ecuadorian coast, in the Amazon region, and in the foothills of the Andes Mountains.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
