At least 14 killed and 34 more injured in a mudslide in Colombia

People run due to alert of another landslide caused by heavy rains in Pereira, Risaralda department, Colombia, on February 8, 2022. (AFP)

At least 14 people were killed and 34 injured in a mudslide in Colombia on Tuesday. Heavy rains precipitated the mudslide.

A landslide on a mountain in central-western Risaralda province was triggered by early morning rainfall, burying numerous homes in the impoverished municipality of Dosquebradas.

"We have confirmed 14 deaths and 34 injuries as a result of the mudslide," stated local official Carlos Maya.

According to the National Unit for Risk and Disaster Management, rescue teams combed the mud in search of survivors.

"We were terrified by a tremendously loud roar. We went out and noticed a chunk of the mountain above the houses," cab driver Dubernei Hernandez, 42, told AFP.

"I visited that location and found it to be a disaster, with people trapped."

Hernandez stated that he assisted in recovering two bodies and a survivor. He noted that the muck buried at least five homes.

The disaster agency shared a photograph of a mudslide-induced breach in the lush green greenery.

Rescue crews expressed concern that fresh mudslides could result in the damming of the nearby Otun river, exacerbating the calamity.

Numerous families who lived along the river were evacuated due to floods' danger.

"At the moment, we are managing the entire evacuation perimeter due to ongoing soil instability," Alvaro Arias, Risaralda's government secretary, told Blu Radio.

Publish : 2022-02-09 12:30:00

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