Rains cause landslides and damage in four cantons of El Oro

Portovelo, THE GOLD

During the last 48 hours, heavy rains have been recorded in the cantons of the upper part of the province of El Oro, which have caused landslides on rural roads. A house was partially destroyed by a rock slide in the Portovelo canton last Thursday.

While the road accesses to the parishes and sites of the Piñas, Portovelo, Zaruma and Atahualpa cantons have been complicated by landslides and potholes in some sections. This has made it difficult for the community members to move their products to local markets.

The mayor of the Atahualpa canton, Bismark Ruilova, pointed out that the communication channels with the parishes and rural sectors are critical. For example, the road that connects the cantons of Atahualpa and Zaruma was completely cut off due to the rains.

In the early hours of this Saturday, March 5, there was a large-scale landslide that covered the entire road and left the two towns incommunicado. “We are coordinating cleaning work on the road, until the machinery of the Ministry of Public Works arrives,” said Mayor Ruilova.

The mayor of Zaruma, Jhansy López, estimated that the road rehabilitation work will take at least two days. An alternative route that the community members can take is the Muluncay-Playitas-Huertas section, said the cantonal authority.

In Manabí and El Oro quantify the damage due to strong winter season

In the Portovelo canton there are also damages to the roads that connect the Morales, Curtincapac and Salatí parishes, where several landslides have been registered that prevent the passage of vehicles.

In the Piñas canton, the parishes of Capiro, Moromoro and San Roque have been affected by the landslides, and vehicular passage is temporary. The machinery of the Prefecture of El Oro is in charge of carrying out the maintenance, according to said institution.

A house destroyed by a landslide

A landslide caused the partial destruction of a house located in the Buenos Aires neighborhood, in the Portovelo canton, during the early hours of this March 5. A few hours earlier a heavy rain had started in this city.

Mud and rocks entered the house and left part of it destroyed. Among those affected are a 17-year-old woman and a 10-month-old girl, who had lacerations due to falling wood inside the building. (I)