"Intense rainfall recorded over the weekend triggered landslides and the overflow of ravines, leaving at least three people dead and more than 3,000 homes affected in northern Peru's Piura region. Footage shows streets and homes engulfed in thick mud and floodwater, cutting off electricity and leaving families without access to basic necessities. Residents can be seen shovelling debris from roadsides as clean-up efforts continue. "We got out with the water up to our waists, holding on to all the walls until we reached the corner, where we stayed at another neighbour's house," said local Nataly Lama. According to witnesses, moments of anguish were experienced when the mud descended suddenly after two nearby ravines merged. Many families barely had time to reach safety, leaving their belongings behind. "When I saw a wave of mud coming, I ran out. Things were passing by, drowned pigs, everything like that, and on top of that, the power went out. Practically a moment of terror," said affected resident Cecilia Sepulveda. The event followed hours of continuous rainfall that saturated the soil and activated ravines running through human settlements built in vulnerable areas. According to preliminary reports from the regional office of the National Institute of Civil Defence [INDECI], several streets became impassable due to the accumulation of mud and debris, and dozens of families were forced to evacuate to neighbours' homes or communal spaces. The federal government has declared a state of emergency in several districts and regions due to the intense rains, caused by the coastal El Nino phenomenon, which brings torrential rainfall, high air temperatures and atmospheric instability."