13 dead as heavy rains in Peru cause landslide
Pastor Dale Morgan
13 dead as heavy rains in Peru cause landslide
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by Staff Writers
Lima (AFP) April 13, 2009
At least 13 people, including one child, were killed in a landslide in a
village in northern Peru during heavy rain, local authorities said Monday.
Several homes were buried in mud after a landslide early Sunday in
Retamas, in La Libertad region some 500 kilometers (311 miles) north of
Lima.
"Thirteen people died and rescue teams continue to assess the homes that
were damaged," said the region's president, Jose Murgia, stressing that
the heavy rains had hampered rescue operations.
National Institute of Civil Defense (INDECI) operations director Walter
Tapia earlier put the initial toll at nine dead. Tapia told AFP that
massive amounts of mud and rocks had buried homes in Retamas.
Policemen and locals were participating in rescue operations, while
civil defense teams were attending to people affected by the landslides
who had to evacuate their homes.
Mudslides are common in Peru during heavy rains. Between October 2007
and March 2008, at least 29 people were killed and six went missing due
to heavy rain and overflowing rivers, according to INDECI.