Colombia landslide killed 33 people, including children

• A landslide in northwest Colombia has killed at least 33 people, mostly children.
• Colombian President Gustavo Preto pledged “all available help” to the Choco region.
• The Choco province, bordering the Pacific Ocean, experienced significant rainfall on Friday and Saturday.

The death toll from a landslide in north-west Colombia has risen to at least 33 people, with children comprising most of the victims, according to the vice president. Nineteen others were injured, and ongoing rescue operations are in progress.

Landslides had previously closed the road connecting the cities of Medellín and Quibdo, prompting people to abandon their cars and take refuge in a house, as stated by an official. Subsequently, another landslide occurred, burying them and some of the vehicles.

Colombian President Gustavo Preto has pledged “all available help” to the Choco region. The landslide occurred near the Carmen de Atrato community, as a local official reported.

Around 60 people sought shelter near a junction, with the house primarily housing women and young children, according to a survivor who spoke anonymously to El Tiempo newspaper. He mentioned that, despite offering sausage and fried plantain to those seeking refuge from the heavy rain, the landslide struck the house and nearby cars in a matter of seconds.

On Twitter, Vice President Francia Márquez Mina announced that relief agencies, local authorities, police, and the army have all deployed to support search and rescue efforts in Choco province.

The tragedy has deeply affected the South American country, with extensive media coverage and an outpouring of shock and condolences on social media.

The Choco province, bordering the Pacific Ocean, is heavily forested and experienced significant rainfall on Friday and Saturday. The local mayor noted on Saturday that the debris still trapped some people.

Images circulating on social media and television channels depict cars destroyed and partially buried by mud and fallen rocks. Despite Colombia facing a drought, the country’s Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental Studies had previously warned about the dangers posed by heavy rains in areas bordering the Pacific and the Amazon rainforest.

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