Rescue efforts continue as rainfall batters areas like Arequipa, a center of recent anti-government protests.
At least 15 dead
Landslides in southern Peru have left at least 15 people dead, 20 injured and two missing, authorities said, warning the toll from the disaster could rise. “The death toll so far has risen to 15,” according to the leadership of the National Civil Defense Institute in the region of Arequipa, where mudslides and rocks began on Sunday following rains torrential
A river in flood
Located on the banks of the Ocoña River in the province of Camaná, Secocha is among the areas of the department of Arequipa facing high water levels as heavy rains continue to fall. On Monday morning, the Ocoña was flowing at a rate of 585.6 cubic meters per second, with the Peruvian government warning that the flooding river could affect nearby population centers.
To deal with the consequences of the landslide, the Ministry of Health announced on Twitter that it would send “two brigades made up of doctors, nurses and mental health professionals to the region”, as well as 150 kg of drugs in the area.
“Search and rescue efforts continue”…
…said the Department of Defense in a tweet that denounced misinformation surrounding the landslide. While some media reported 36 dead, the ministry wrote that it recommended members of the public “obtain information from official sources”.
Anti-government protests continue
The landslide strikes amid ongoing anti-government protests in Peru, many of which are concentrated in southern regions like Arequipa.
Other information regarding air transport
The Brazilian company GOL is stopping its Sao Paulo – Lima and Santiago route.
Although GOL is scrapping its plans, Lima will still benefit from direct Brazilian connections via LATAM – the South American carrier currently serves Peru’s capital from Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre with 28 weekly flights in total. In fact, LATAM will add a fourth daily route – Brasilia International Airport (BSB) – on March 26, bringing it to 35 weekly flights.
