17 missing in Peru landslide

Torrential rains in El Provenir, Peru, has led to a landslide which swept away 17 people including four children, Radio Programas del Peru reported Thursday. Jorge Rios Perez, head of the Office of Civil Defense in the San Martin region, said a team of medical staff has been dispatched to the area to provide first aid and to assess damage to the area. The continuing rains have caused the Huallaga River to swell to the point that boats can no longer safely access parts of the region, El comercio.pe reported. Pineo Jaime Torres, governor of Picota province, said those missing were from a community of about 150 families engaged in the cultivation of coffee and other crops. "So far the information is dispersed, speaking of missing and destroyed houses, but nothing is confirmed yet," he said to state news agency Andina.