More Than A Dozen Killed In Ecuador- Alausí Landslide

In a mountain village in Ecuador, a landslide that buried entire families under mud and debris resulted in at least 16 fatalities.

Firefighters, police, and specialized rescue teams have been sent to the Andean canton of Alausí to look for trapped inhabitants.

The government reported that at least seven persons were still missing even though six had been recovered alive from the mud.

Over a dozen people have sustained injuries.

Residents had reportedly warned of fault lines developing in the region after heavy rains, according to local media.

The tarmac on the roadway connecting Alausí with Guamote recently cracked open, forcing a temporary closure.

A resident claimed to local media that on Sunday night, "the mountainside slid down like a rocket," burying several houses under dirt and rocks.

A video of a section of mountain road that had collapsed was published by the local media.

Police previously posted a video of people searching for survivors in the pitch-black environment while using torches and spotlights.

As family members flocked to the scene in search of their loved ones, local radio reporters detailed "heart-wrenching scenes."

President Guillermo Lasso said the country's risk management agency had been alerted and would be providing help to those affected, reports BBC.

Due to these most recent landslides, one of the major roads connecting the cities of Riobamba and Cuenca had to be closed, making access to the area even more difficult.

The earthquake that struck Ecuador's southern coast and left more than a dozen people deceased happened just over a week before the landslide.