Firefighters from half a dozen cities were dispatched to the area to help.
At least seven people have been killed and 46 others are missing in a landslide triggered by months of heavy rainfall in southern Ecuador, the government.
Revising the confirmed death toll down from 16, the communications ministry said on Tuesday 23 people were reported injured when the mudslide hit the village of Alausi in Chimborazo province, some 300 kilometres south of the capital Quito.
The agency estimated that 500 people and 163 homes were affected by the disaster, which also destroyed a portion of the Pan-American Highway.
The governor of Chimborazo, Ivan Vinueza, told The Associated Press that some of the injured were taken to area hospitals. Authorities initially issued an evacuation order due to the imminent risk of new landslides, but they lifted it a few hours later.
Area residents told local media they heard tremors on the mountain before the landslide, which is estimated to be about 490 feet wide and 1 kilometre long. It dragged trees, homes and other buildings.
Firefighters from half a dozen cities were dispatched to the area to help.
More than a dozen rescuers stood at the edge of the landslide as they worked to remove debris.
Video from cameras connected to the country's emergency service network shows residents fleeing their homes with help from neighbours. It also shows people transporting appliances and other belongings in vehicles.
The emergency response agency said 60 percent of potable water service in the area was affected by the landslide. The communication's office of President Guillermo Lasso said a shelter had been set up and some schools would be switching to online classes.
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