Rescue teams in Peru are still searching for survivors after a landslide triggered by heavy rain covered more than 60 homes, with more than a dozen people still reported missing.
The landslide happened on Tuesday around 8:30 a.m. local time in the town of Retamas, located in the mountainous region of La Libertad in northern Peru. At least eight people have been recovered thus far, with one person reported dead. Another 15 to 20 people are still missing, the Peruvian government said Wednesday.
The landslide was caused after part of the hillside suddenly gave way following heavy rainfall in the area. Tons of rocks, brush and mud rushed down onto the town below, covering between 60 to 80 homes. Local authorities stated the mining town is generally not a suitable place to build homes.
"There are quite a few people buried. We do not have enough support to be able to rescue them soon and alive," Carlos Alberto Valderrama, the commissioner of Retamas, said on Tuesday following the collapse, RPP reported.
"The relatives of those who are distressed risk their lives by going there, trying to dig. There are elderly people, there are miners, there are children, babies," he added, according to a translation.
After more than 24 hours, an estimated 15-20 people are still unaccounted for. Among the missing are believed to be two babies, a teenager and at least five adults. The national police, Peruvian army, La Libertad firefighters and others are assisting in the search, according to the Peruvian news outlet OJO.
President Pedro Castillo arrived in the town following the collapse and was met by Mayor Luis Velezmoro who said rescue teams have been working around the clock to find people but had to stop around 1 a.m. due to geography, OJO added.
Castillo confirmed at least one person has died from the incident. The individual was said to be one of the eight people who were rescued after being trapped. The president offered support to the victim's spouse, RPP reported.
Manuel Llempen, the governor of La Libertad, told Peruvian news channel Canal N that the town of about 3,000 residents was in an area that was not safe for homes to be built. Other government officials warned "we can't have a town like this" and emphasized people needed to be relocated to a safer area, RPP added.
"We have had a report for years where we ask the mayor of the respective district to prevent the construction of more houses in this area," Llempen said.
Valderrama told AFP there are "cracks in the hill" and warned there could be another landslide, which the country is prone to. Homes in Peru are often built on the sides of hills or on the edge of rivers, which can have devastating effects when a landslide occurs, The Independent reported.
La Libertad suffered a deadly landslide in 2009 when 13 people, including a child, were killed after heavy rain triggered the natural disaster that buried several homes.
Update 03/16/22, 1:33 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and background.
Update 03/16/22, 12:48 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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