Authorities in Peru says landslides in southern Peru have left at least fifteen people dead, twenty injured and two missing, warning that the toll from the disaster could rise.The number of people dead so far has risen to fifteen, according to the directorate of the National Civil Defense Institute in the Arequipa region, where mud and rock slides began on Sunday as a result of torrential rains.According to an information from the Peru’s Ministry of Health in the mountainous town of Secocha, where the landslide took place, twenty more people were treated for minor injuries.Located on the banks of the Ocoña River in Camaná province, Secocha is among the areas in the department of Arequipa facing high water levels as heavy rain continues to fall.As of yesterday morning, the Ocoña was flowing at a rate of 585.6 cubic metres per second, with the Peruvian government warning that the swollen river could affect nearby population centres.To address the aftermath of the landslide, the Ministry of Health has announced on Twitter that it would send two brigades made up of doctors, nurses and mental health professionals to the area, as well as one hundred and fifty kilogram of medicine to the region.The Peruvian army has also deployed helicopters to the region, transporting humanitarian aid, drinking water and sandbags to the emergency site.
