LIMA: Death toll has risen to 18 from landslides in Peru's southern province of Camana in the Arequipa region, Defence Minister Jorge Chavez said on Saturday.
“When we arrived in the area, there were only 15 deaths identified, but now it has risen to 18,“ the official said during an interview with Radio Programas del Peru, reported Xinhua.
Chavez added that 20 people were reportedly missing as a result of the heavy rains in the region last weekend, which caused rivers to overflow.
Among the towns affected were Pampaylima, Venado de Oro, Infiernillo, San Martin, Miski, Secocha and Urasqui in the district of Mariano Nicolas Valcarcel in the mining province of Camana.
According to a press release issued by the Civil Defence Institute (Indeci), 13 deaths occurred in Secocha, four in Urasqui and one in Pampaylima.
A shelter has been set up in Secocha to deliver humanitarian aid to those affected, while the Armed Forces continue to transfer those affected to central areas for medical treatment, Chavez said.
Over 61 tons of humanitarian aid have been sent from Lima so far, according to Indeci. -Bernama
