Landslides in Colombia northwestern region of Chocó have resulted in the tragic loss of at least 37 lives, as reported by authorities from the Prosecutor’s Office to CNN en Español on Saturday. The latest update did not specify the number of individuals injured in the devastating event.
Governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba Curi expressed deep sorrow for the region, stating, “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.”
The landslides occurred along a road connecting the cities of Quibdó and Medellín, following 24 hours of relentless rainfall, as revealed by Colombia’s Vice President Francia Marquez on Friday. Authorities have also conveyed that at least 17 bodies have been transferred to Medellin for forensic examination.
Social media images captured the distressing moment when a substantial portion of land dislodged from a mountain, descending onto several cars navigating the flooded road below, as reported by Reuters.
Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, Colombian Civil Defense, the National Army, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Choco police department have been mobilized to respond to the incident, Marquez also said. Landslides in Colombia
Colombia has been plagued by deadly mudslides before. In 2017, hundreds of people were killed in a remote southern area of the country, after torrential rains sent a torrent of mud surging through the city of Mocoa.