At least 16 dead and 7 missing after an avalanche in the Andean region of Ecuador

At least 16 people died and seven are missing due to the avalanche happened on Sunday in the city of alausilocated in the Andean zone of Ecuadorthe Risk Management Secretariat reported on Monday.

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In a statement, he noted that 16 people were injured, while half a thousand people were affected and 22 lost everything.

The Prosecutor’s Office reported that after the landslide registered on a hill in the Alausí canton “So far 6 corpses have been sent to the Forensic Center. Prosecutor teams are on site coordinating actions.

The governor of the Andean province of Chimborazo, Iván Vinueza, specified that they are not certain “of how many people could apparently be buried. We are working with the Fire Department from all over the country”.

“The area is very dangerous (…). These days it has rained a lot and that has made it difficult for us to have peace of mind. In addition to the clogging of the road in the upper part of Alausí, it is what has even complicated the entry of people to try to help ”he commented.

Residents observed the damage caused by a landslide today, in Alausí (Ecuador). A large landslide buried this Sunday night a neighborhood in the city of Alausí, in the province of Chimborazo, in the Andean center of Ecuador, where a rescue operation for victims is still being carried out. (Photo: EFE/ José Jácome) (José Jácome/)

Based on estimates from the Red Cross, the Risk Management Secretariat indicated that 163 homes were affected and they are still evaluating how many are destroyed after the avalanche that occurred on Sunday night.

Damage is reported on 150 meters of road, while 25% of public lighting was affected.

According to Vinueza, the landslide mainly affected the Nuevo Alausí neighborhood, although damage has also been reported in nearby sites.

He pointed out that throughout Sunday the evacuation of inhabitants of the area was carried out by the Alausí City Council, the firefighters, the military.

“Many people left the city, they left there scared because the fear was very strong.”

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YELLOW ALERT

The Risk Management Secretariat indicated that at the beginning of last December a collapse was reported on the E35 road and, as a result of this, on March 26 a landslide was registered that affected several sectors of Alausí, transporting material from the upper area from Casual to behind the Gonzáles Suárez school.

He recalled that last February he declared a state of yellow alert to the polygon identified as susceptible to mass movements in the communities of Aypug, Casual and the neighborhoods of La Esperanza, Control Norte, Nueva Alausí, Pircapamba and Bua.

General view of a landslide today, in Alausí (Ecuador). A large landslide buried this Sunday night a neighborhood in the city of Alausí, in the province of Chimborazo, in the Andean center of Ecuador, where a rescue operation for victims is still being carried out. (Photo: EFE/ José Jácome) (José Jácome/)

On March 15, an emergency situation was declared in the Alausí canton for sixty days.

The measure was adopted with the purpose of attending, in an emergent way, the acquisitions and contracting to prevent, react and mitigate emergencies in the areas affected by the mass movement event in the Casual sector.

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RESPONSE ACTIONS

The Risk Management Secretariat has coordinated with the Fire Department of eight cities and the search and rescue (USAR) teams of Quito and Cuenca were activated.

The Police of Alausí and Riobamba supports the work of protecting the population and has coordinated with the health sector to care for the rescued people.

Three temporary accommodations have been activated and one hundred beds, mattresses and sleeping equipment have been mobilized to care for those affected.

Source: Elcomercio