Zamora River Overflows in Ekvador: Missing and Wounded Reported

As a result of the overflow of the Zamora River, located in the Zamora Chinchipe province of Ekvador, on Friday night, 3 Temmuz 2026, many people have been injured and some citizens have been reported missing. This tragic natural disaster affected many neighborhoods in the Guadalupe area of the Zamora canton, causing severe flooding. Since the moment the incident occurred, the local community has experienced great panic and requested immediate assistance from authorities. It is believed that the disaster caused extensive damage to the infrastructure and homes in the area. The sudden rise of the river has turned into an unexpected disaster for the residents living in the region.

Following this tragic event, the Ulusal Risk Yönetimi Sekreterliği made an official announcement stating that coordination and response efforts have been initiated in the area. The relevant institution stated that they are actively on duty in the field together with the Afet Risk Yönetimi Merkezi institutions. Technical personnel attached to the Zonal 7 Koordinasyon unit were first dispatched to the scene to ensure that search and rescue operations in the field were conducted in an orderly manner. Authorities stated that they are making every effort to bring the situation under control and ensure the safety of the citizens. These operational interventions continue uninterruptedly in order to prevent the scale of the disaster from growing further.

The Zamora İtfaiye Birimi and the Ekvador Silahlı Kuvvetleri are leading the search and rescue efforts in the field. In addition, teams belonging to the Sağlık Bakanlığı and other relevant institutions have been dispatched to the area to provide emergency health support to the affected population. The injured and disaster victims have been picked up from the Kantzama neighborhood in the Guadalupe area and safely transported to the state hospital in Yantzaza. While the treatment of the wounded brought to the hospital continues, medical teams are on standby against possible new cases. This multi-pronged operation is being carried out with great meticulousness to expedite the rescue process and prevent loss of life.

According to the latest reports shared by official authorities in the early hours of Saturday morning, 4 Temmuz 2026, 38 civilians have been successfully rescued so far. In addition, 10 firefighters who faced difficulties and were in danger during the rescue operations have been evacuated to safe areas. Rescue teams continue their efforts day and night to find the reported missing persons and to search the areas swept by the river waters. Although a precise number of missing citizens has not yet been given, the efforts of the teams in the field have been intensified. The challenging operations carried out during the night hours have become particularly arduous in areas with strong currents.

On the other hand, the transportation network has also taken a major blow due to the physical devastation caused by the disaster, and the highway between Loja and Zamora has been closed to traffic. In a statement made by the Altyapı ve Ulaştırma Bakanlığı, it was emphasized that the E50 highway is closed to traffic in both directions due to landslides on the aforementioned route. This closure has severely complicated the transportation of emergency teams and relief supplies trying to reach the disaster area. Furthermore, due to the landslides occurring in the region, special measures have been taken, prohibiting the passage of heavy-tonnage vehicles and allowing only emergency response teams to pass. The Zamora Chinchipe İl Afet Koordinasyon Merkezi (COE) has decided to hold a critical meeting at 10:00 AM on Saturday morning to closely monitor the developments and determine the steps to be taken in the future.