A landslide triggered by heavy rains in Peru has killed at least eight people in the Arequipa region in the south of the country, national emergency services said on Monday.
Authorities said five other people are missing after the landslide near the city of Secocha, located in the province of Camaná, following heavy rains last week in the area.
Local media reported a higher death toll, figures Reuters could not immediately confirm.
Peru’s national emergency center, COEN, said search and rescue efforts are continuing.
The Defense Ministry said on Twitter that it is assisting in the efforts by providing helicopters, tents, water tanks, sandbags and disaster relief personnel.
The deadly landslide follows nearly two months of anti-government protests in the South American country, largely centered in Peru’s Andean south, following the ouster of former President Pedro Castillo on December 7.
The protests have left dozens dead and hundreds injured.