Dozens killed in Colombia landslide, including children

A landslide caused by torrential rains in northern Colombia has killed at least 33 people, according to officials.

Vice President Francia Marquez posted on the social networking site X on Saturday, saying, “I deeply regret the death of 33 people in this tragedy, mostly children, according to preliminary reports from the territory.”  “At this time, search and rescue actions continue for the people who remain trapped,” she told reporters.

The mudslide, which happened on Friday afternoon, blocked a route that connects the communities of Quibdo and Medellin in the Pacific region of Choco, authorities said. As mud enveloped many automobiles on the route, it also caused dozens of injuries and left some persons missing.  On Saturday, a specialized Colombian police rescue team rescued survivors and recovered dead.

As of early Saturday morning, forensic experts in Medellin had identified three of the seventeen remains that had been brought there. No names were disclosed.

Firefighters and rescue personnel had a difficult time getting to the most affected area due to several road closures.  “Since last night, we have been working hand-in-hand with emergency and relief organisations on the Quibdo-Medellin road,” stated a police spokesperson. “We deployed all our capabilities to rescue and help those affected.”

A further fifty soldiers turned up to help, and pictures that the army made public showed men soaked in muck and trudging through marshy areas.  President Gustavo Petro posted on social media on Friday, saying, “Every aid that is available [is being sent] to Choco in this horrible tragedy.”

After more than twenty-four hours of heavy rain, there was a landslide in Choco, a large tropical forest located on the Pacific Ocean.  Pictures on social media captured the moment when a sizable chunk of land slid off a mountain and onto many automobiles that were traveling down the flooded road below.

The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) of Colombia has blocked the route.

At least 27 people were murdered in the same region of Colombia in December 2022 when a landslide trapped them inside a bus and other cars.

Although a large portion of Colombia is experiencing drought, the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies has issued a warning on the possibility of significant precipitation in the Amazon and in some regions that border the Pacific.