Ecuador on guard against possible delays at key port amid flooding

Quito, March 24 Ecuador is taking measures to ensure smooth operation of port facilities amid immense flooding caused by heavy rains in the coastal city of Guayaquil.

Guayaquil, an industrial centre and port city in southwestern Ecuador, was hardest hit by the storms and subsequent flooding, landslides and disruptions of transportation and supplies, reports Xinhua news agency.

On Thursday, the National Customs Service of Ecuador (SENAE) warned torrential rain could potentially cause delays in foreign trade shipments to and from the port city of Guayaquil.

"SENAE is taking the necessary steps and activating contingency plans so that operations are not affected. It is also safeguarding the integrity of its servers," the customs service said in a statement.

From Wednesday night through early Thursday morning, heavy rains, thunderstorms and strong gusts hit the province of Guayas, its capital Guayaquil and some coastal regions, reported the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (INAMHI).