At least 12 people, including three children, died on Monday when a landslide sank two boats docked at Iparia port in Peru’s central Ucayali region, authorities said.
Officials report around 50 passengers were on one vessel and none on the other. So far, nine bodies have been recovered, and 25 people are injured. Up to 40 others remain missing.
Images from UTV Noticias showed families scrambling along the riverbank as belongings from the sunken boats drifted downstream.
COEN, the national emergency operations center, said the tragedy struck at dawn when bank erosion caused parts of the Ucayali riverbank to collapse.
The navy has joined the rescue effort, which is complicated by fast-flowing water, whirlpools and flood-season fog.
Local authorities are working with families to clarify the final number of passengers and missing persons.
The incident underscores the risks faced during Peru’s flood season as communities along the Amazon region’s rivers contend with erosion and sudden landslides.
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12 dead, dozens missing as landslide submerges boats in Peru port
cgtn.com
