Colombia: More than 250 killed in landslide
Dozens of children among the dead after heavy rain floods the south-western city of Mocoa
At least 254 people, including dozens of children, have died after a severe landslide engulfed a city in south-western Colombia.
Residents in Mocoa woke on Saturday morning to find torrents of water and mud flowing through the streets, burying whole neighbourhoods and downing electricity networks.
"The disaster struck in the early hours of Saturday when the rushing waters of the Mocoa river and its tributaries converged on the capital of Putumayo province, catching many people by surprise as they slept," reports The Guardian.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The area has been declared a disaster zone and search efforts are continuing for the missing.Firefighters and rescuer parties have so far retrieved 82 bodies, Jhon Ever Calderon, the mayor of nearby Villagarzon, told Reuters.
"We think we'll find more," he added.
"Bodies were still being pulled from the thick mud, tree limbs and debris that covered much of the city" on Sunday, as desperate friends and relatives searched for missing loved ones in the sludge, CBS reports.
According to Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, hundreds of people have been forced into emergency shelters and are relying on tankers for drinking water.
The floods "not only took more than 200 lives but plunged this regional capital of around 65,000 people into a great humanitarian crisis".
A candlelit vigil was held in the town on Saturday night, adds the paper, with many of the participants still in the muddy clothes they were wearing when the mudslide struck.
Flooding and mudslides are a fact of life in the rainy, mountainous nation. The deadliest on record occurred in Armero in 1985, when 20,000 people were killed.
However, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said he believed climate change contributed to the Mocoa flooding and that the intensity of the avalanche was "without precedent".
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
A brief history of third parties in the US
In Depth Though none of America's third parties have won a presidential election, they have nonetheless had a large impact on the country's politics
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Modern royal scandals from around the world
The Explainer From Spain to the UAE, royal families have often been besieged by negative events
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published