At least 17 people are missing after a landslide hit a small town located in Peru’s mountainous jungle region, according to local media reports.
Four minors from the town of El Porvenir, located 60 kilometers from the city of Tarapoto in San Martin province, in the north central jungle, are included among the missing, daily El Comercio reported.
The landslide that hit El Porvenir was provoked by heavy rains in the early morning of Wednesday.
State news agency Andina reported that Peru’s Civil Defense has sent a brigade to the town to confirm the damage.
Jorge Rios, the head of the Civil Defense in San Martin’s regional government, said that nothing has yet to be confirmed. “The information up until now is unclear. There is talk about missing people and houses destroyed, but nothing has been confirmed yet,” he said.
