Tragedy in Colombia: at least 14 dead due to landslide that buried homes

Heavy rains triggered a landslide that killed at least 14 people on Tuesday in Risaralda, west of Colombiareport to the authorities.

Another 35 people were injured and taken to medical centers for recovery and one more person was reported missing.

The landslide occurred at dawn in a popular sector where there are wooden houses in the neighborhood The Esnedain the municipality of Dosquebradas, and Avenida del Río, which belongs to Pereira, capital of Risaralda.

the mayor of Pereira, Carlos Maya, who assured the number of fatalities, told the press that since 1977 there has not been a landslide in the city. The official observed that the risk of landslides continues in the area and, therefore, urged the citizens who left the place to avoid more victims.

“The triggering factor for the emergency was a rupture in the ditch channel which, when it collapsed, ended an accumulation and constant flow of water towards the hillside.”, explained the Mayor’s Office of Pereira in a statement.

More than 60 homes were evacuated and technical teams were assembled to assess the damage and risks.

The Colombian President, Ivan DukeHe sent his condolences to the families of the deceased. “My accompaniment to the Risaraldense people in this difficult moment,” he highlights in a tweet.

Duque added that he asked the team of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, a position in search and rescue work, to be “ready to intervene when required.”

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