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Landslide strikes Amazon port, sinking ferry and damaging passenger vessel
At least 12 people were killed and around 50 remain missing after a landslide struck two boats docked at a river port in Peru's Ucayali region early Monday, local authorities and media reported. The disaster occurred at approximately 05:00 local time (10:00 GMT) as passengers prepared to disembark in Iparia, a riverside community in the central Amazon rainforest.
Ferry sunk, second vessel severely damaged
A police report cited by Peru's Andina news agency confirmed that the landslide caused a ferry to sink and inflicted serious damage on a second passenger vessel. Both boats carried dozens of people, including children, teachers, and doctors, according to Reuters, which referenced Andina's coverage. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, while rescue teams from the Peruvian Navy and national police scrambled to locate survivors.
Rescue efforts have been complicated by the Ucayali River's fast-moving currents, a navy official told AFP. The river, a major headwater of the Amazon, saw its banks erode suddenly, triggering the landslide, Peru's National Emergency Operations Center stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Uncertainty over missing passengers
Authorities are working with families gathered at the scene to verify the number of missing individuals, though initial reports suggest around 50 people were aboard one of the boats. AFP cited local sources indicating that one vessel had departed Pucallpa-a city to the north-on Sunday, bound for riverside communities including Caco Macaya, Curiaca del Caco, and Pueblo Nuevo del Caco.
"The priority is to account for all passengers and provide support to the affected families," a local official told Andina, emphasizing the urgency of the search amid challenging conditions.
Ongoing rescue and investigation
The Peruvian Navy, alongside police and emergency responders, continues to coordinate search operations, though hopes of finding survivors diminish as time passes. The incident has raised concerns about riverbank stability in the region, where erosion and seasonal rains frequently pose risks to transportation and riverside settlements.
Further updates are expected as authorities compile a definitive list of passengers and assess the structural integrity of nearby docking areas.
