Deadly landslide submerges boats at Iparia port, Ucayali River, Peru
A landslide struck the river port of Iparia on the Ucayali River in central Peru’s Amazon region at dawn on December 1, 2025, submerging two passenger boats and killing at least 12 people, including three children. Dozens remain missing, while rescue efforts by local police and navy units continue under difficult river conditions.
Deadly landslide submerges boats at Iparia port, Ucayali River, Peru on December 1, 2025. Credit: Policía Nacional del Perú
A large section of the riverbank at Iparia, a river port in Peru’s Ucayali Region, collapsed early on December 1, 2025, triggering a landslide that submerged two passenger vessels and killed at least 12 people. Authorities said that dozens more remain missing, while more than 20 passengers sustained injuries.
The collapse occurred at the embarkation area where passengers were boarding boats at dawn.
The sudden failure of the saturated riverbank sent a mass of soil into the Ucayali River, generating waves that overturned or dragged the moored vessels under the surface.
One of the boats, Rapido Oriente, was completely submerged, while the second vessel, Deo Rigo, was badly damaged. Witnesses said the riverbank gave way suddenly, leaving passengers almost no time to react.
Local authorities, supported by the Peruvian National Police and the Navy, launched search and rescue operations using small craft and divers. However, efforts were hampered by poor visibility, fast-flowing currents, whirlpools, and ongoing flooding typical of the December rainy season in the Amazon basin.
According to initial estimates, around 50 people may have been aboard Rapido Oriente when it sank. The total number of passengers on Deo Rigo has not been confirmed. Conflicting reports suggest between 30 and 40 people remain unaccounted for.
Officials attributed the incident to riverbank erosion linked to high water levels following intense rainfall in recent weeks. The Ucayali River is one of the Amazon’s main tributaries, with strong seasonal variability and unstable banks prone to collapse during the flood season.
Rescue operations aided by local communities continue on December 2, with divers focusing on locating the sunken vessel and searching downstream areas where debris and bodies may have been carried by the current.
References:
1 Peru landslide sinks boats in Amazon region river, killing 12 – Reuters – December 1, 2025
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