Go Back
Tropical depression forms in the Gulf of Mexico. Click to see where it is headed. Chevron right
The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season is now underway. Find out how many storms are forecast to develop this year. Chevron right

Ashburn, VA

83°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Ashburn

Virginia

83°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Ashburn, VA Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Video

Podcasts

Winter Center

Top Stories AccuWeather Early AccuWeather Prime Astronomy Climate Travel Health Recreation Business Sports
Air Quality Alert

News / Severe Weather

At least 14 dead after massive landslide overtakes village in Ecuador

More than 65 people remained missing as rescue teams continued a frantic search for more survivors.

Published Mar 28, 2023 2:47 PM EDT | Updated Mar 29, 2023 8:18 PM EDT

Copied
Live Coverage For all things weather, 24 hours a day.

Residents of a mountain village in Ecuador are digging through mud and debris, looking for nearly 60 people reported missing after a devastating landslide.

Recent heavy rain sent a massive landslide crashing down on a small community in Ecuador, killing at least 14 people and leaving 67 still missing as of Wednesday.

Early Monday, a large torrent of mud, rocks and other debris swept over the village of Alausi in Ecuador’s Andean region in the central part of the country, about 140 miles south of the capital, Quito.

The landslide, estimated at nearly a half mile long, plunged down the hilly terrain burying dozens of homes, trees and other buildings, trapping many villagers and injuring 33 people, according to Ecuador's Risk Management Secretariat. The initial death toll was placed at 16, but that figure was revised later on Monday.

Residents look over the site of a landslide that buried dozens of homes in Alausi, Ecuador, Monday, March 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

President Guillermo Lasso visited the scene of the disaster Monday night as hundreds of emergency crews worked frantically to search for survivors. So far, 32 people have been rescued from under the landslide, according to the agency.

Lasso said he saw "first-hand the search-and-rescue work being carried out by experts" and assured the community that the rescue efforts would go on "as long as is necessary."

Paramedic Alberto Escobar told The Associated Press it was unlikely more survivors would be found because of the time that had elapsed but that the search would continue unless it rained.

There is a "buildup of tons and tons of earth," making it difficult to find survivors, Fernando Yanza, a firefighter working to rescue those trapped, told AFP. The buildup of earth "takes away the small amount of space for oxygen," he added.

“My mother is buried” under the mud, Luis Ángel González, 58, told the AP. “I am so sad, devastated. There is nothing here, no houses, no anything. We are homeless (and) without family.”

Area residents said they heard tremors on the mountain before the landslide, which was triggered by heavy downpours in the region over the past several days.

Deadly landslide in Ecuador
Twitter

Many residents, in addition to those who had lost their homes, were ordered to evacuate, and temporary shelters were set up to assist those displaced by the disaster.

“We went to the shelter, but my mother didn’t want to,” Sonia Guadalupe Zuña told the AP. “Later, my daughter went to convince her. When they walked along the rails, everything collapsed. They arrived covered in dirt and crying.”

GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

  •    Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+

Overall, about 500 people were impacted by the landslide, which also destroyed part of the Pan-American Highway. Officials said about 60% of the local water service was also affected.

The deadly landslide comes a week after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake killed 16 people in southern Ecuador and northern Peru.

Read More:

UN Secretary-General Guterres calls for an end to the 'war on nature'
Rolling Fork resident describes miraculous survival of EF4 tornado
Historians pinpoint the very 'worst year' ever to be alive

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Severe Weather

Risk of severe storms to linger across central US

Jun. 1, 2023
Astronomy

June’s short nights to bring plenty of stargazing opportunities

May 31, 2023
Weather Forecasts

Chicago summer forecast: AccuWeather calling for more heat than 2022

May 31, 2023
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

Top Stories

AccuWeather Early

AccuWeather Prime

Astronomy

Climate

Travel

Health

Recreation

Business

Sports

Top Stories

Hurricane

Tropical depression forms in Gulf of Mexico

1 hour ago

Weather Forecasts

Dramatic cooldown to follow surge of warmth

4 hours ago

Weather Forecasts

AccuWeather’s 2023 Europe summer forecast

1 day ago

Health

Wildfire smoke not entirely to blame for poor air quality in Northeast

1 day ago

Hurricane

AccuWeather's 2023 Atlantic hurricane season forecast

7 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Topic

Your Local Asthma Forecast

Featured Stories

Travel

Search suspended for Va. man who went overboard from cruise ship

11 hours ago

Live Blog

Astronomy news: New record set during private SpaceX mission

LATEST ENTRY

17 humans briefly orbited Earth at the same time

10 hours ago

Sports

Dramatic rescue caught on camera after woman falls into raging rapids

2 days ago

AccuWeather Severe Weather At least 14 dead after massive landslide overtakes village in Ecuador
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2023 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Do Not Sell My Data checkmark Confirmed Not Selling Your Data

We have updated our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

I Understand

Get AccuWeather alerts as they happen with our browser notifications.

Notifications Enabled

Thanks! We’ll keep you informed.

FEEDBACK