Landslides caused by heavy rains in Ecuador kill at least seven people

A landslide surged over a highway in central Ecuador on Sunday, killing at least seven people and leaving dozens more missing as heavy rains pummeled the country and caused rivers to overflow.

It comes as heavy rains have drenched Ecuador and other parts of the region over the past several days.

Authorities in the country say the flood of mud and debris ploughed down the hillside and hit three cars, two houses, and a bus in the Ecuadorian resort city of Baños.

Rescuers were treating nine injured and had retrieved seven bodies from the disaster site, while 30 people were believed to be trapped according to the Deputy Fire Chief Capt. Angel Barriga.

The storms sent a deluge of mud and floodwaters crashing into highways and bridges, severing the main road connecting Ecuador’s highlands to its Amazonian provinces.