Landslide in western Colombia leaves 35 dead
Internet
Published at: 15/01/2024 08:11 PM
The number of deaths after a landslide that occurred on a highway in the Colombian department of Chocó rose to 35, the country's National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences reported, according to the Prensa Latina website.
Through a statement, it became known that of the total number of fatalities, 33 were identified, while 23 have already been handed over to their families, so technical-scientific work is continuing for the process of identifying all the people who died in the accident.
After the tragedy that occurred on the Quibdó-Medellín highway, the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, declared a state of emergency due to natural disasters in the area where 10 are still missing and 19 injured.
President Petro made the decision after flying over the road buried by a mountain slide, in the northwestern department of Chocó.
He explained that it involves the provision of resources for mitigation works “we want to ensure that the investment is not just asphalt or rigid cement, but for road safety, which is precisely because these mountains are not risky for people who travel through the area.”
According to Colombian authorities, the deceased are mostly children who were returning home after a vacation trip, when they were surprised by the detachment of a mountain after heavy downpours in that area of the country.
Mazo News Team