"In Peru, we lack a risk map, there are people who dare to put a roof over a river or drill a hole in a hill to make homes," says Peruvian President Pedro Castillo.
Rescuers digging through a landslide in northern Peru have found two dead bodies, including a one-month-old baby, authorities said.
"We managed to recover the body of one adult, a man, and a one-month-old girl," said Jose Rivas, the spokesman for the police rescue body, on Wednesday.
"Most probably he was trying to protect the girl and the landslide buried both of them."
A landslide on Tuesday in the town of Retamas, around 500 kilometres north of Lima, buried several homes and trapped at least eight people.
Rivas said the bodies were found in the rubble of a market.
Defence Minister Jose Gavidia said there were eight people, including three children, missing.
'My house was buried'
On Tuesday, authorities had said there were 15 people missing from the mining village of around 5,000.
Gavidia also corrected a claim from Tuesday by La Libertad governor Manuel Llempen, who said at least 60 homes were buried, lowering that figure to "about seven."
"I managed to get out in time (but) my house was buried. The landslide has left us with nothing," said Ledy Leiva, who escaped with five family members.
Rescue efforts went on all night from Tuesday to Wednesday with only a couple of hours' break.
'We lack a risk map'
Peruvian President Pedro Castillo arrived at the village on Wednesday morning to supervise rescue efforts.
"In Peru, we lack a risk map, there are people who dare to put a roof over a river or drill a hole in a hill to make homes," said Castillo, referring to poor people with no other option than to build makeshift homes in precarious places.
In 2009, at least 13 people, including one child, were killed by another landslide in Retamas, which is considered a high-risk area.
Landslides are frequent in the wet summers of the Peruvian Andes.
Tuesday's landslide is believed to have been caused by heavy recent rainfall.
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