Landslides strand thousands of vehicles in southern Peru
Thousands of vehicles have been stranded on Peru's Panamericana Sur since Sunday after heavy rains triggered landslides that blocked a major stretch of the highway.
More than 2,000 vehicles, including freight trucks, interprovincial buses and tankers, remain stuck along the Atico-Ocona route in Arequipa's Caraveli province, particularly around the Quebrada Honda sector.
Mud, rocks and debris have covered parts of the road, preventing traffic from moving in either direction. One haulier criticised the response from authorities after spending four days stranded.
"There is no support from anyone, everything is a disaster. We pay tolls; we want a tow truck from the Ministry of Transport or the Atico council to tow us," he said.
Haulier Carlos Ordonez said he had begun selling boxes of fruit at reduced prices before they spoiled. "36 soles per box, so we can at least recover the investment, because we have lost a bit as it has spoiled over time," he said.
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Ordonez also complained about uncertainty over when the highway would reopen. "They told us it would be just two days, and now it has been five days and we are still here," he said.
The blockage affects more than 70 kilometres of the Panamericana Sur, one of southern Peru's main transport corridors.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
