LANDSLIDE TRAGEDY
Shocking moment mountain collapses after heavy rain in Colombia leaving at least 23 dead including children
People were reportedly sleeping in their cars as the tragedy occurred
THIS is the horror moment a mountain collapses in Colombia after heavy rain, killing at least 23 people and injuring many others.
The landslide occurred around 4pm local time yesterday as vehicles waited on the road for it to reopen after it was blocked by falling rocks.
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Many of the victims were still sitting in their cars as an avalanche of mud and rocks slid towards them and buried them.
Footage of the drama showed it happened so quickly they had no chance of escape.
The tragedy happened on the road between the city of Quibdo in Colombia, the capital of the department of Choco, and Medellin.
The landslide caught on video was one of three within a three-mile stretch of the road that occurred in an area called Las Toldas.
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Initial reports pointed to five people being killed and around 30 injured.
Early this morning departmental governors in Choco confirmed in a tweet: “We regret to inform you that up until now 17 bodies have been removed in the area where the tragedy occurred.
“Twenty-five injured people have been taken to different hospitals.
“Search and rescue operations are continuing.”
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Choco’s governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba described the landslides in a statement as an “emergency of serious proportions” as details of the number of fatalities began to emerge.
A survivor, speaking as he tried to help locate victims with other volunteers while they waited for expert help to arrive in the aftermath of the tragedy, said: “What’s happened here is a tragedy of enormous proportions.
“Several lifeless bodies have already been recovered, among them women and children.
“We’re moving several bodies that have been found.
"There are also some vehicles that are still trapped, where it’s believed there were people sleeping inside.”
Another eye witness told local media: “When the mountain came down some of us were taking refuge inside a nearby house.
"There are lots of dead and injured.”
The number of those who have lost their lives as well as those injured is expected to rise as the search and rescue operation continues.
According to the most recent report from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), 23 people died and 35 more were injured, of which 25 were transferred to the Carmen hospital.
A helicopter has been mobilised as part of an air support operation to help emergency responders working on the ground.
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The landslides in the affected area occurred after several hours of heavy rain.
Colombian president Gustavo Pedro tweeted early this morning: “All help available to Choco in this horrible tragedy.”
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