QUITO, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- At least four people died and another was injured Monday in a landslide in western Ecuador's Manabi province following heavy downpours on Sunday, the National Risk Management Secretariat said.

The early morning landslide collapsed a house in the city of Portoviejo, the agency said via social media.

"The National Risk Management Secretariat has activated the necessary resources and is continuously monitoring the emergency," authorities said.

The Portoviejo Fire Department carried out the rescue operation, and local government personnel are clearing the area and collecting information to assess the damage and define further action.

According to local authorities, the four fatal victims were all members of one family, including a married couple and their two daughters -- a four-year-old and a six-month-old infant, who were sleeping when the landslide buried the house under mud.

The area where the landslide occurred is considered high risk due to torrential rains Sunday that weakened the soil.

The latest deaths raise the death toll to nine since winter season storms began on Jan. 1, according to data from the National Risk Management Secretariat.

The provinces hardest hit by landslides, flooding and gale force winds include Guayas (southwest), Chimborazo (center), Manabi (west), Cotopaxi (center), Los Rios (center), Esmeraldas (north) and Zamora Chinchipe (south). Enditem

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