Galapagos Islands: Heavy rains kill one, thousands displaced

QUITO — Heavy rains in the Galapagos Islands killed at least one person and displaced thousands of families in the region, local authorities said on Saturday.

The rainfall, thought to be associated with the El Nino phenomenon, began Friday afternoon.

“This is the first time something like this has happened in Santa Cruz. We never imagined this would happen… It was a natural phenomenon that truly exceeded our expectations,” the island’s mayor, Fanny Uribe, told AFP.

Residents of Santa Cruz Island, the most populated in the archipelago, had to carry their belongings to safety, according to images released by the ECU911 emergency service and local media.

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According to preliminary estimates from the municipality of Santa Cruz, some 2,000 families have been affected.

“They have lost absolutely everything. They were left with only the clothes on their backs,” Uribe said.

ECU911 said in a press release that so far one person has died and two others are missing.

The Galapagos National Park closed four tourist sites on Santa Cruz and two more on San Cristobal Island.

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The Galapagos Islands are home to approximately 28,500 people, spread across four islands. /dl