QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuadorean officials say mudslides triggered by heavy rains have killed at least six people and injured 18 in a southern gold mining community.
Azuay state Gov. Humberto Cordero says he does not yet have an estimate of how many people are missing from the disaster that struck before dawn Thursday after six hours of torrential downpours.
Cordero tells The Associated Press the mudslides have buried homes and blocked roads in the community of Pueblo Nuevo.
He says the community can only be reached by helicopter.
The AP reached a rescuer, Octavio Pena, who was approaching by road