Workers Run to Safety as Road Collapses in Peru Amid Deadly Rains

Personnel working to repair a Peruvian highway weakened by months of heavy rainfall were seen running to safety as a portion of the road collapsed into a ravine on March 13, footage shows.

Video streamed live by the local government in Huancabamba shows a chunk of the road suddenly break off and fall into rushing water. The incident happened on a section of highway in San Miguel de El Faique in the Piura region, officials said, as Cyclone Yaku tracked along the coast.

According to Peruvian outlet El Tiempo, heavy rainfall has “wreaked havoc” in the region, with 15 landslides isolating Huancabamba.

El Peruano said that across Peru, at least 50 people have died and more than 7,000 have been displaced by rainfall since January 1.

Warnings were in place for extreme rainfall until March 17. Credit: Huancabamba Municipality via Storyful