18 dead, 46 hurt as flooding hits Ecuador capital

The heaviest flooding to hit Ecuador in two decades has killed at least 18 people in Quito, washing away cars, damaging homes and sweeping away volleyball players and spectators on a sports field, officials said yesterday.

Sixteen people have been reported missing and 46 injured, six of them critically, Ecuador's SNGRE emergency service said on Twitter.

Video footage shows torrents of water carrying stones, mud and debris down streets in the Ecuadoran capital as rescuers help inhabitants wade through the fast-running currents to safety.