Colombia: At least 14 dead, 34 Injured due to a Massive Mudslide Triggered by Storm

The national disaster agency said on Tuesday that at least 14 people died and 34 were injured in a mudslide triggered by heavy rains in Colombia. The early morning heavy rains caused a mudslide on a mountain in central-western Risaralda province, burying several homes in the impoverished municipality of Dosquebradas.

Local official Carlos Maya said, “We have counted 14 people who died and 34 injured in the mudslide.

Rescue teams dug through the mud looking for survivors, said the National Unit for Management of Risks and Disasters.

“A very loud noise scared us. We went out and saw a piece of the mountain on top of the houses,” taxi driver Dubernei Hernandez, 42, told AFP.

“I went to that place and it was a disaster, with people trapped.”

Hernandez said he helped dig up two bodies and a survivor. He said at least five homes were buried by the mud.

“We are currently managing the entire evacuation perimeter because we still detect soil instability,” Alvaro Arias, government secretary in Risaralda, told Blu Radio.

©Photo: Luis Robayo/Agence France-Presse