Provoked by heavy rain: Landslide buries town in Ecuador

Several people have lost their lives in a landslide in Ecuador, with rescue teams continuing to dig through the mud.

A landslide buried a district of the small town of Alausí in Ecuador on Sunday night, 26th March. At least 16 people were killed in the accident, with another two dozen injured.

With more than 50 people still believed to be trapped in the rubble, the death toll may still rise. Emergency workers are using rescue dogs and drones to search for more missing people.

Eleven buildings were completely covered with debris and mud in the landslide. Numerous other houses were damaged.

The landslide was triggered by heavy rain, which has been causing problems in the region for weeks. At the beginning of the month, a state of emergency was declared in many parts of Ecuador in the aftermath of the storms.

Alausí is located at an altitude of approximately 2300 m above sea level in the Andean province of Chimborazo, named after the volcano and also the highest peak in Ecuador.

Less than two weeks ago, at least 15 people were killed in an earthquake in the south of the country.