Landslide in Peruvian Andes traps at least 15 people, buries homes

LIMA • A landslide in the northern Peruvian town of Retamas has buried dozens of homes and trapped at least 15 people, according to the authorities.

A video circulating on social media shows a hill collapsing on Tuesday, and the person filming can be heard screaming "No! God! It's all buried."

Mr Manuel Llempen, the governor of the La Libertad region where Retamas is located, told RPP radio "the landslide has buried, according to the preliminary report, approximately 60 to 80 houses", adding: "They are completely buried."

"We have estimated between 15 and 20 people who are still missing," Defence Minister Jose Gavidia said on a visit to the town on Tuesday night, some 12 hours after the collapse of the hill. Officials earlier said there were at least three children among the missing.

The landslide occurred around 8.30am local time, according to Peru's National Emergency Operations Centre.

Retamas sits high in the Andes, at about 800m.

The town's police commissioner, Lieutenant Carlos Alberto Valderrama, told Agence France-Presse that the police and fire departments were continuing their rescue operation.

"We have managed to rescue four people, among them a Venezuelan citizen who was trapped in a market. So far, we have found no fatalities," Lt Valderrama said. "The area is blocked off. There are cracks in the hill - we have been warned that there could be another landslide."

Retamas, a mining town, is a 16-hour drive from the regional capital of Trujillo on the Pacific coast.

"I was able to get out in time, but my house was buried. The landslide left us with nothing," said Ms Ledy Leiva, who escaped with five other members of her family.

Several people buried in the mud and rock were rescued by neighbours who drilled through their roofs and walls, media reported.

Peru's President Pedro Castillo said he would visit the stricken town and promised government support for affected families.

"I am heading to Pataz province (where Retamas is located) to see the area affected by the landslide," the President tweeted after delivering a speech to Congress.

A 2009 landslide in Retamas killed at least 13 people, including one child.

"This place has already been identified as a high-risk zone," warned Mr Miguel Yamazaki, director of preparedness for the Peruvian Civil Defence.

Landslides occur most often in Peru's Andean region during the Southern Hemisphere's summer, which is the country's rainy season.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE