QUITO, Feb 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The heaviest flooding to hit Ecuador in two decades has killed at least 24 people in Quito, inundating homes, swamping cars and sweeping away athletes and spectators on a sports field, officials said Tuesday.
A dozen people are missing and 48 injured, Ecuador’s SNGRE emergency service said on Twitter.
Video footage showed torrents of water carrying stones, mud and debris down streets in the Ecuadoran capital, as rescuers helped inhabitants wade through the fast-running currents to safety.
Many in the city of 2.7 million people were taken to shelters, as authorities declared three days of mourning starting Tuesday.
Rain that drenched Quito for 17 straight hours caused a deluge that damaged roads, agricultural areas, clinics, schools, a police station and an electric power substation.
Quito police chief Cesar Zapata did not rule out finding more bodies under thousands of cubic meters (cubic feet) of mud and debris left behind by the flood.
Dozens of soldiers were deployed to assist in search and rescue efforts of the police and fire brigades.
Heavy rains have hit 22 of Ecuador’s 24 provinces since October, according to the National Risk Management Service.
Scientists say climate change is intensifying the risk of heavy rain around the world because a warmer atmosphere holds more water. — NNN-AGENCIES
