The South American country of Ecuador has been hit by a tragic landslide in the capital Quito. The natural disaster has taken the lives of at least 24 people, British news portal The Guardian reports.
The Quito Security Department also stated on Tuesday, February 1, that 32 people were injured and eight houses had collapsed, with more damaged. Neighbours helped rescue workers in digging through the ruins for survivors of the disaster that took place after nearly 24 hours of rainfall.
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Streams of mud, some three metres high, swept away vehicles, motorcycles, rubbish bins and other debris in the neighbourhoods of La Gasca and La Comuna below the slopes of the Ruco Pinchincha mountain.
Once the rescue effort began, police called for silence so the cries of those trapped could be heard. Quito mayor Santiago Guarderas explained the tragic landslide, by pointing to intense rains that had saturated the soils, setting off the landslide, The Guardian reports.
Landslide in Ecuador takes many lives
