- Colombia landslide kills 33
- Majority are minors
- Rescue operations underway
Officials report that a landslide triggered by excessive rainfall in northwestern Colombia has claimed the lives of at least 33 individuals.
Vice President Francia Marquez expressed her profound sorrow over the loss of 33 lives in this tragedy on Saturday via the social media platform X. Preliminary reports from the territory indicate that the majority of those killed were minors.
“Search and rescue operations continue at this time to locate those who are still trapped,” she stated.
In the Pacific province of Choco, a Friday afternoon mudslide buried the route between Quibdo and Medellin.
Additionally, dozens were injured, and several individuals went missing after mud enveloped multiple vehicles on a congested highway.
On Saturday, a specialised rescue unit of the Colombian police located survivors and recovered corpses.
According to the AFP news agency, as of early Saturday morning, authorities in Medellin reported that a total of seventeen corpses had been transported to the city. Three of these bodies had been identified by forensic examiners. The names of none were disclosed.
Several road closures impeded the ability of rescue personnel and firefighters to access the most severely damaged region.
“On the Quibdo-Medellin road, we have been collaborating with emergency and relief organisations since last night,” the police stated. “We utilised our entire force to rescue and assist those who were impacted.”
An extra fifty soldiers were sent to help; army photos showed men covered in dirt across swampy terrain.
“Every available resource is being dispatched to Choco in light of this tragic incident,” stated President Gustavo Petro on social media on Friday.
After almost 24 hours of severe rains, a tropical forest on the Pacific Ocean in Choco collapsed.
Social media posts captured the moment a substantial section of land detached from a mountain and landed atop a number of vehicles traversing the inundated roadway beneath.
Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) has declared the road impassable.
In December 2022, a Colombian landslip engulfed buses and other vehicles, killing at least 27 people.
Amidst widespread arid conditions throughout Colombia, the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies has issued a warning regarding the potential for intense precipitation in the Amazon and various departments that share a border with the Pacific.
