The landslide closed roads in the resort town of Baños de Agua Santa and damaged houses in the area, Xinhua news agency quoted Ecuador's National Risk Management Secretariat as saying.

"We are coordinating and deploying more machinery to help relief efforts," Roberto Luque, Ecuador's minister of transportation and public works, said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Luke said the operation of three hydropower plants has also been disrupted due to heavy rains.