QUITO – About 80 people were rescued with a lifeboat and other means when the buses they were riding in became trapped in waters that accumulated after a heavy rain in the northern part of Quito.

Cesar Enriquez, with the firefighters communications department, said that a taxi and two buses from the city’s trolleybus system, were affected when more than 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) of rainwater accumulated around them the vehicles.

“Approximately 80 people were evacuated from the site, for which a boat and other evacuation (measures) had to be used,” he said, adding that some of the people were suffering from hypothermia when they were brought to safety.

Firefighters and other emergency organizations worked several hours overtime due to the fact that the rain, which fell for about an hour, flooded streets and several homes.