At least six individuals have lost their lives, and 19 others sustained injuries in Ecuador after heavy rains triggered a landslide.

The catastrophic mudslide took place on Sunday in Banos de Agua Santa city in central Ecuador, as reported by the National Secretariat for Risk Management.

The agency initially reported that 30 more people were missing, but later confirmed they had been found.

Images and videos online showed torrents of mud and debris racing down a hillside in Banos, flowing over a highway. Authorities have dispatched heavy machinery to clear the roads.

The mayor of Banos, Miguel Guevara, advised residents to avoid hazardous roads and mentioned that officials are toiling to clear the northern coastal area to facilitate further rescue efforts.

Translation: UPDATE | Equipment and machinery from the National Secretariat for Risk Management and the Ministry of Transport and Public Works continue to arrive in the affected areas of Banos de Agua Santa. 

Banos, a favorite destination for tourists venturing into the Amazon jungle and exploring Ecuador’s volcanoes, is situated about 135 km (84 miles) south of Quito by air, and 186 km (115 miles) by road.

In Chambo canton, the Ecuadorian military collaborated with emergency responders to evacuate residents and their belongings following severe rains that caused a river to overflow.

Roberto Luque, Ecuador’s minister of public works, indicated that operations at three hydroelectric plants had been disrupted by the storm.

“My sympathies are with all the families affected,” Luque wrote in a social media post.

Heavy rainstorms have affected regions of Central and South America in recent days, prompting several countries to issue warnings about the threat of landslides, rock falls, and flooding.

Earlier this week in El Salvador, a landslide resulted in the deaths of two children. The civil protection agency has issued a red alert for intense rains across the nation.

In adjacent Guatemala, the communications ministry reported the diversion of some airline flights.