Collapse in Pataz: Ombudsman's Office urges “public and private institutions to care for and rescue affected people”

The Office of the Ombudsman ruled on the collapse that occurred this morning in the Retamas annex, located in the remote district of Parcoy, Pataz province , in the mountains of the Libertad region. In which, so far, eight missing persons are registered, including four minors, several trapped and 40 houses buried after a hill slide, according to local authorities.

In this regard, from its Twitter account, the Ombudsman's Office stated that they have already met with members of the Peruvian Army, Indeci, the National Police and the General Volunteer Fire Department to ensure their presence in the area of the emergency.

“In an emergency landslide meeting in Retamas, Parcoy district, Pataz province, the presence of rescuers from the Army, Indeci, Police and Firefighters is assured in the area,” he said.

They also called on public and private institutions to help victims in the area with their maximum efforts. “We demand that public and private institutions make every effort to attend to and rescue those affected. We will be monitoring actions taken and that humanitarian aid reaches the victims”, continued the Office of the Ombudsman.

For his part, Defense Minister José Luis Gavidia, who is already close to the collapse area, confirmed that around 40 rescuers are going to Pataz, in addition to a battalion of the Huamachuco Army.

“At the moment we are going out with a group of rescuers, there are 20 policemen who are going to enter (...) and enter the area with two helicopters. I am going with 10 more rescuers to Trujillo and from there I can enter with another helicopter to the area. We are going to enter rescuers and doctors to start taking out the wounded,” he said in RPP Noticias.

“Practically, we are going to have three M17 helicopters in the area to start taking the wounded to Trujillo and entering rescuers and doctors, that is the first action we are going to take: rescuers and doctors enter and get injured. Later, I'm going to move to the area to start assessing the situation,” he added.

COLLAPSE IN PATAZ

It should be noted that the collapse was reported to the average at 8 am today, March 15. According to local authorities, the detachment of part of the hill was due to the fact that it does not have an area suitable for housing construction.

The governor of La Libertad, Manuel Llempén, explained that most of the inhabitants of the Retamas annex were saved from being buried because they were already working.

“Fortunately, this happened in the morning because we could say that some of the people who live there have gone out to work, but as we have seen the images this is very tragic and I have already communicated with the President of the Republic, who has ordered that the Minister (of Defense go to the area),” he also told RPP Noticias.

The Regional Council of La Libertad decided to evaluate the declaration of emergency in the district of Pataz, following the start of the rainy season that caused the overflow of the Marañón River, which crosses that town, and destroyed up to 4 sections of the road to Tayabamba and the isolation of various villages.

A preliminary report established that the sectors most affected and at greatest imminent risk to the population, at that time, are the ravines of the towns of El Vado, Vijus, and Nimpana, where there are nearby houses, and even in the Marañón channel. The river also affected the main road to Tayabamba.

Similarly, it was established that if the problem were to become worse, the National Government would be required to declare Pataz in a state of emergency and other surrounding localities. However, this never happened.

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