(WNAM monitoring): International media, citing Colombian authorities, reported on Sunday, January 14th, that the landslide occurred near the city of Carmen de Atrato in Choco due to heavy rainfall.
According to the authorities of this country, as a result of this event, 34 people have been killed, dozens have been wounded, and some are still missing. Earlier, the officials had reported 18 casualties in this incident.
This landslide, triggered by heavy rainfall, engulfed a passenger bus carrying dozens of passengers in the Risaralda province. The authorities of this country have also stated that many people may still be trapped underground beyond what was initially estimated, and there is a possibility of an increase in the casualty count.
Meanwhile, the authorities of Colombia have declared that rescue teams and search dogs from all over Colombia have been dispatched to the scene to search for the injured individuals, and efforts to rescue those trapped are underway.
Francia Marquez, the Deputy President of Colombia, said on social media platform X that some of the victims are children. The Ministry of Defense reported that the heavy rainfall in the region and the ongoing flooding have made rescue operations challenging.
Colombia has recently experienced extremely heavy rainfall, an unusual occurrence, and this is not the first such event in the country. Previously, a similar event in Colombia resulted in the loss of 200 lives.
