The northwestern region of Chocó in Colombia has been struck by devastating landslides, resulting in the loss of at least 37 lives, including children.
The catastrophic event unfolded on Friday, January 12th, on a road linking Quibdó and Medellín, triggered by a prolonged period of intense rainfall, as detailed by Colombia’s Vice President Francia Marquez.
Marquez, in a Saturday statement, said, “I deeply regret the death of 33 people in this tragedy, mostly children, according to preliminary reports from the territory.”
She added, “At this time, search and rescue actions continue for the people who remain trapped.”
Authorities have reported transferring at least 17 bodies to Medellin for forensic analysis.
In a statement, Governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba Curi remarked, “We are experiencing a very sad weekend for Chocó, “Our people feel the pain of the victims. I will not rest until I make sure that all Chocoans have information about their relatives.”
Several individuals sustained injuries on a crowded highway, with some individuals unaccounted for as mud covered multiple vehicles on the roadway.
On Saturday, a specialized rescue team from the Colombian police successfully saved survivors and recovered bodies.
The police statement reads, “Since last night, we have been working hand-in-hand with emergency and relief organizations on the Quibdo-Medellin road. We deployed all our capabilities to rescue and help those affected.”
Social media has been flooded with images capturing the moment a massive land segment plummeted from a mountain, engulfing several vehicles on the inundated road below.
In response to the tragedy, Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, the Colombian Civil Defense, the National Army, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, and the Choco police department have been deployed for emergency operations.
Colombia has experienced fatal mudslides in the past.
In 2017, a remote southern region of Colombia witnessed the deaths of hundreds of lives when heavy rains triggered a devastating mudflow that swept through the city of Mocoa. In 2022, a landslide killed 27 people when a bus and other vehicles got trapped in the sediment.
