A catastrophic landslide has struck a river port in Peru’s Amazon rainforest, resulting in a significant loss of life with at least 12 fatalities and approximately 50 individuals reported missing. The disaster occurred in the early hours of Monday morning near Iparia in the Ucayali region, sinking one ferry and critically damaging another passenger vessel during disembarkation procedures.
According to official reports from Peru’s National Emergency Operations Center, the tragedy was triggered by severe riverbank erosion along the Ucayali River, which serves as the primary headwater for the Amazon River system. The incident took place at approximately 05:00 local time (10:00 GMT) when both vessels were docked with passengers preparing to exit.
Rescue operations involving national police and Peruvian Navy personnel face substantial challenges due to rapidly flowing river currents that complicate search and recovery efforts. Hospital facilities in the region are currently treating multiple injured survivors pulled from the wreckage.
Passenger manifests indicate those aboard included children, educators, and medical professionals, with concerns mounting that minors may be among the missing. One vessel had embarked from Pucallpa traveling northward on Sunday, scheduled to serve multiple riverside communities including Caco Macaya, Curiaca del Caco, and Pueblo Nuevo del Caco.
Authorities are coordinating with grieving families gathered at the disaster site to establish precise accounting of those still unaccounted for as recovery operations continue under difficult conditions.