Avellon Williams
COLOMBIA- Several homes in central Colombia were buried by a landslide that caused at least 14 deaths and 35 injuries, according to Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management.
A report posted on Twitter by the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management indicated “35 people were injured, 14 died, and one remains missing.”
On Tuesday, a landslide occurred near the city of Pereira in Dosquebredas as a result of heavy rains in the nearby coffee-growing region of Risalda.
Teams of rescuers combed through the mud to find survivors, according to the National Unit for Management of Risks and Disasters.
“We were startled by a very loud noise.” Taxi driver Dubernei Hernandez, 42, told the AFP news agency that he was able to see some of the mountains atop the houses.
“I went to that place and it was a disaster, there were people trapped.”
Hernandez said he helped dig out two bodies and one survivor. There were at least five houses submerged by the mud, he said.
In response to the overflow of the Otun River, authorities evacuated dozens of people in nearby homes amid fears of more landslides.
The entire evacuation perimeter is still being managed because there is still soil instability, Alvaro Arias, the secretary of the government in Risaralda, told Blu Radio.
Colombia is prone to landslides due to its mountainous terrain, frequent heavy rains, and poor house construction.
The country is located in the northwest of South America. It is bordered by Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador. Colombia has a population of about 49 million people and it is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world.
The most recent large landslide disaster in the country occurred in Mocoa in 2017, when more than 320 people lost their lives.
IN PHOTOS THE SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS CONTINUES IN COLOMBIA AFTER A LANDSLIDE
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