On the morning of this Friday, February 4, the Quito metropolitan Emergency Operations Committee (COE) announced the change of phase 4 to 5 in the cleaning works in the sector of La Commune of San Millán and La Gasca, in the north center of the capital. This entails the recovery of the area with cleaning of heavy machinery from 12:00. The works will be carried out until 8:00 p.m. and will resume the next day.
The Monday, January 31, a flood took with it several metal structures, concrete, people, vehicles and tree trunks. According to the Municipality of Quito, the collapse of the El Tejado ravine was the cause of the natural disaster that plunged the city into mourning.
Stephen Cardenas, commander of the Quito Fire Department (CBQ), explained that in the phase 4 used heavy machinery only for lifting heavy structures, difficult for rescuers and body search dogs to access.
“We must be clear that this is a Different natural disaster. The vital spaces that are generated when we have structural collapses, for example, due to an earthquake, do not exist here. This is a barrage that covers all the spaces, it will not leave me vital spaces. Unfortunately, we we do not manage the possibility of finding people alive”, argument.
However, he emphasized that will still carry out search work at certain points, this time they will use the help of heavy machinery in places that in phase 4 would take them longer.
Until 09:30 this Thursday, the mayor Santiago Guarderas reported 27 deceased people (all identified), one person has not yet been removed from the morgue. 55 were injured, 42 have already been discharged and 14 remain hospitalized. The latest report records 2 missing, 203 houses evaluated, of these 41 have affected the first floor, 8 collapsed, 14 destroyed fences, 28 vehicles and 22 motorcycles affected.
Guarderas also mentioned that the next week they will announce the comprehensive recovery plan that they will deploy to help the affected families. He also stressed that with the help of several countries, the donation of kitchens, refrigerators and other equipment lost by the force of the barrage.
The mayor asserted that during the Last quarter they made an evaluation of all the streams and they were cleaned. In addition, he pointed out that next Monday he will announce a call for representatives of civil society, university rectors, unions, groups and the media, to carry out creek inspections.
The Vice President of the Republic, Alfredo Borrero thanked the collaboration of the private company that has joined in the aid for the recovery of structures in homes and with safety materials for volunteers such as boots, gloves, among others.
One of these initiatives is led by the Pintulac company, which will donate $10,000 and receive the collaboration of citizens to exchange for materials at cost price, necessary for the recovery of the affected houses in the sector. Contributions can be made in a website designed for it. they will be occupied in reconstruction of communal areas, community service entities and facades of houses on main avenues.
The metropolitan COE will meet again tomorrow, Saturday, February 5 at 11:00. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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