A tragic Peru landslide disaster has claimed at least 12 lives and left around 50 people missing after a collapsing riverbank struck two passenger boats in the Amazon rainforest region. The incident happened early Monday morning at the river port of Iparia, in the central Ucayali region, as passengers prepared to disembark.
According to local reports, one ferry sank instantly while another passenger vessel was heavily damaged when the landslide swept across the riverbank at approximately 05:00 local time (10:00 GMT). Many passengers were thrown into the fast-moving Ucayali River, a major tributary of the Amazon.
Search Intensifies After Peru Landslide Disaster Hits Boats
Police, national emergency teams, and the Peruvian Navy rushed to the scene, rescuing several injured passengers who have since been taken to nearby hospitals. Authorities fear that children may be among the missing, heightening the urgency of the rescue mission.
Rescue workers say strong currents in the Ucayali River are slowing down operations. A navy official told AFP that the speed of the water had made the search “extremely difficult.”
Officials say the landslide was triggered by ongoing erosion along the riverbank. Peru’s National Emergency Operations Center confirmed on X that the ground gave way suddenly, overwhelming the boats docked at the port.
Families Gather as Peru Landslide Disaster Raises Fears
Many of the missing were travelling to remote riverside communities, and authorities are now working with families gathered at the scene to verify passenger lists and determine the exact number of people unaccounted for.
Local media report that one of the boats had departed Pucallpa on Sunday and was on route to Caco Macaya, Curiaca del Caco, and Pueblo Nuevo del Caco. Teachers, doctors, children, and community workers are believed to have been among those on board.
Nation Awaits Answers After Devastating Peru Landslide Disaster
Emergency teams continue combing the river and nearby areas as the country reels from one of the region’s most serious river accidents in recent years. The final toll is expected to rise as search operations continue.
