More than 500 people had to be evacuated from their homes in the province of Esmeraldas, in the north of Ecuador, due to flooding caused by heavy rains in the region.
Images released by the Ministry of Defense show dozens of people on roofs and on balconies to protect themselves from the water. According to the Secretariat for Risk Management (SGR), around 500 people have already been rescued in boats, and another 30 in helicopters. The Armed Forces and the local police participate in the operations.
“The priority is to save lives, to protect them! We have already rescued 500 people and the tasks continue”, wrote the president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, on social networks. “There were 12 hours of uninterrupted rain, which caused the overflow of six rivers in Quinindé, Atacames, Esmeraldas and Muisne.”
There are no confirmed deaths or reports of missing persons. The latest balance released by the SGR, however, indicates that the damage is extensive. According to the secretariat, more than 11,500 people could be impacted by the floods in a region known for high crime and drug trafficking activities.
At least 21 schools were partially destroyed in the province, and classes had to be suspended in the cities of Atacames, Esmeraldas, Muisne, San Lorenzo and Quinindé. Five health centers were also damaged.
From January 1st to May 31st, the rains left 36 dead and caused damage to almost 100,000 people in the country. The provinces of Manabí, Guayas, El Oro, Los Ríos, Santa Elena, Cotopaxi and Bolívar were the hardest hit.
On March 26, a landslide caused by heavy rains in the Andean town of Alausí, in the province of Chimborazo, buried dozens of homes and killed 60 people. Two months after the disaster, rescue teams are still working at the site looking for 13 missing people.
Scientists claim that the increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather phenomena is related to global warming, caused by human activity.
