At least six people were killed and 30 others were left missing after a landslide occurred in Ecuador, news agency Reuters reported on Sunday, citing preliminary information from Ecuadorian authorities. "My solidarity with all the families who have been affected," wrote Roberto Luque, Ecuador's minister of public works, on the social media platform X.
In a report, the Ecuadorean Secretariat for Risk Management said, the "large-magnitude" landslide occurred in the center of the country, in the city of Banos de Agua Santa.
A heavy rainstorm caused by low pressure swept across parts of Central and South America on Sunday. Several countries warned of the increased risk of landslides, rock falls, and flooding.
In El Salvador, the country's civil protection agency declared a red alert due to heavy rainfall throughout the nation. As far as neighbouring Guatemala is concerned, several airlines diverted flights, according to the Guatemalan Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure, and Housing, as reported by Reuters.
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In another incident that took place last week, four members of a family were killed in a landslide in Taplejung district in northeastern Nepal, a local official said, as reported by news agency IANS. A couple and their twin daughters died in Phaktanglung Rural Municipality after their house was buried in the debris on Thursday night, reports Xinhua news agency.
"All four were killed on the spot. Their bodies were recovered on Friday morning," said Rajan Limbu, Chairperson for the rural municipality. Limbu told Xinhua that some 50 goats and dozens of chickens bred by the family also perished in the disaster.
Monsoon clouds entered eastern Nepal on Monday and have brought heavy rainfall, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. Rain-induced disasters are common in Nepal, and the Nepali authorities have estimated that over 1.8 million people could be affected this year.