Current:Home > MarketsColombia landslide kills at least 33, officials say-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Colombia landslide kills at least 33, officials say
View Date:2024-12-23 22:58:00
At least 33 people were killed in a landslide in an indigenous community in northwestern Colombia, the country's vice president said Saturday.
Rescuers slogging through deep mud were rushing against the clock in hopes of finding survivors in the rubble.
Vice President Francia Marquez wrote on social media Saturday that at least 33 people were killed and 19 others injured. She said it appeared that about 80 people in total were affected by the landslide.
Earlier, officials had put the toll in Friday's landslide, which hit a road linking the cities of Medellin and Quibdo in Choco department, at 23 dead and 20 injured.
"All the help available (is being sent) to Choco in this horrible tragedy," President Gustavo Petro said on social media Friday.
Authorities in Medellin said that, as of early Saturday, 17 bodies had been transported there and that forensic examiners had identified three of them. No names were released.
With several road closures, rescue crews and firefighters struggled to reach the hardest-hit area, and one official told AFP there had been a request for helicopters to help.
"Since last night, we have been working hand-in-hand with emergency and relief organizations on the Quibdo-Medellin road," the police said. "We deployed all our capabilities to rescue and help those affected."
About 50 soldiers also arrived to assist, and images released by the army showed mud-covered men struggling through swampy terrain.
The landslide in Choco, which lies on the Pacific Ocean and is home to a vast tropical forest, followed more than 24 hours of intense rain.
A local official told AFP that many travelers, blocked by an earlier landslide Friday, had left their cars to take shelter in a house near the municipality of Carmen de Atrato.
"But unfortunately an avalanche came and buried them," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Images shared on social networks and on television channels showed part of a mountain breaking loose and crashing down onto a line of cars, while screams are heard.
A landslide in the same part of Colombia in December 2022 killed at least 27 people, trapping people in a bus and other vehicles.
While much of Colombia is suffering a period of drought, the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies has warned of the risk of heavy rains in the Amazon and in several departments bordering the Pacific.
- In:
- Colombia
- Landslide
veryGood! (752)
Related
- Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight odds will shift the longer the heavyweight bout goes
- UN Security Council to vote on resolution urging cessation of hostilities in Gaza to deliver aid
- Charmed’s Holly Marie Combs Confirms Alyssa Milano Got Shannen Doherty Fired
- Artificial intelligence can find your location in photos, worrying privacy experts
- Wall Street makes wagers on the likely winners and losers in a second Trump term
- Influencer Lexi Reed Shares Positive Takeaway After Not Reaching Weight-Loss Goal
- Want to get on BookTok? Tips from creators on how to find the best book recommendations
- Bangladesh minister accuses country’s main opposition party of arson after train fire kills 4
- NASCAR Championship race live updates, how to watch: Cup title on the line at Phoenix
- Taraji P. Henson says she's passing the 'Color Purple' baton to a new generation
Ranking
- We Can Tell You How to Get to Sesame Street—and Even More Secrets About the Beloved Show
- Greek anti-terror squad investigates after a bomb was defused near riot police headquarters
- Jordan Davis nearly turned down his viral moment on Eagles' Christmas album
- Texas governor signs bill that lets police arrest migrants who enter the US illegally
- Is Veterans Day a federal holiday? Here's what to know for November 11
- Narcissists are nightmares during holidays. Here's how to cope with them.
- Appeals court says Mark Meadows can’t move Georgia election case charges to federal court
- YouTuber Ruby Franke Pleads Guilty in Child Abuse Case
Recommendation
-
Craig Melvin replacing Hoda Kotb as 'Today' show co-anchor with Savannah Guthrie
-
Charlotte Hornets' Miles Bridges denied entry to Canada over legal situation, per report
-
Narcissists are nightmares during holidays. Here's how to cope with them.
-
Wisconsin DNR preps 2024 grant program for small water systems to deal with PFAS contamination
-
All Social Security retirees should do this by Nov. 20
-
House Democrats call on Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse from Trump 2020 election case
-
What's the best Christmas cookie? Google shares popular 2023 holiday searches by state
-
Millions of Apple users can claim part of a $25 million settlement. Here's how.