At least 16 people killed in landslide in central Ecuador

Emergency officials in Ecuador say at least 16 people died and 16 others were injured after a massive landslide

Ecuador Landslide (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

At least 16 people were killed and 16 others injured when a massive landslide buried dozens of homes in an Andean community in central Ecuador, the country's emergency response agency reported Monday.

Ecuador's Risk Management Secretariat said seven people remained missing hours after the landslide Sunday in Alausí, about 137 miles (220 kilometers) south of the capital, Quito.

The disaster also destroyed a portion of the Pan-American Highway.

The governor of Chimborazo, Ivan Vinueza, told The Associated Press that some of the injured have been taken to area hospitals. He added that people have been ordered to evacuate the area due to the imminent risk of new landslides.