Landslides in Peru killed 36 people and swept mud, water and rocks into villages

Landslides triggered by steady rains swept mud, water and rocks into several villages in southern Peru, killing at least 36 people.

Videos surfaced on Monday, showing the extent of the damage, with people being rescued and pulled by the current.

Civil Defence officials said that 36 bodies had been recovered in a remote sector called Miski.

Among the dead were five people who were riding in a van that was pushed into a river by a surge of mud.

Civil Defence officials said an estimated 630 homes were unusable after the landslides, which also hit bridges, irrigation canals and roads.

Constant rains are frequent in February in Peru and often cause deadly landslides.