Galapagos rains kill one, affect 2,000 families

Heavy rain in the Galapagos Islands killed at least one person, left two people missing and affected about 2,000 families, local authorities said Saturday.

The rain began Friday afternoon and was thought to be associated with the El Nino phenomenon. Santa Cruz, the most populated island in the archipelago, was among the areas affected.

ECU911, Ecuador's emergency service, said one person had died and two others were missing. Preliminary estimates from the municipality of Santa Cruz said about 2,000 families had been affected.

Santa Cruz Mayor Fanny Uribe said the event exceeded local expectations and that some residents had lost all their belongings.

The Galapagos National Park closed four tourist sites on Santa Cruz and two more on San Cristobal Island. The Galapagos Islands are home to about 28,500 people across four islands.