Search and rescue efforts continue in Ecuador after deadly landslide

Search and rescue efforts are ongoing in Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador, after a catastrophic landslide in Cantzama claimed 11 lives and left at least eight people missing. Among the missing is the provincial governor, Ivonne Panchi. The disaster has devastated the local community, with rescue teams working tirelessly to locate survivors and recover victims.

Personnel from various emergency services, including firefighters from Cuenca, El Oro, Yantzaza, and El Pangui, alongside members of the Army and National Police, are engaged in both riverine and terrestrial searches. The operation also includes clearing debris and inspecting affected homes. The National Secretariat for Risk Management (SNGR) is coordinating with the Provincial Government and the Ministry of Transport and Public Works to deploy heavy machinery essential for the rescue and recovery work.

Preliminary reports indicate that the landslide affected 74 families, leaving 82 individuals displaced and 38 injured. The economic impact is significant, with the Ministry of Economic Development and Productive Production reporting substantial losses in local fauna. This includes an estimated 15,000 farmed fish, 500 chickens, 50 head of cattle, and 25 pigs.

The Prefect of Zamora has expressed gratitude to all the organizations participating in the search and rescue operations and the recovery efforts in the affected areas. The scale of the disaster underscores the vulnerability of communities in mountainous regions to extreme weather events and the critical importance of coordinated emergency response.