15,000 affected by floods in Ecuador

BOGOTA

Heavy rains in Ecuador caused floods that have affected around 15,000 people, local media reported Tuesday.

The northwestern province of Esmeraldas experienced flooding as a result of the downpours, reports said.

The General Secretariat of Communications of the Presidency released a statement saying that 15,000 families were impacted by the floods. Of them, 842 people were relocated to temporary shelters, while civil defense teams successfully rescued 1,467 people.

The statement also noted that the heavy rains have caused damage to 2,895 homes, with a month's worth of precipitation falling within a span of just 12 hours.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing, while some regions continue to face challenges in terms of access to electricity and clean drinking water.

Social media images depict flooded neighborhoods and streets, painting a vivid picture of the situation.

*Writing by Servet Gunerigok