At least three people died and about 20 others were buried in a landslide in northwestern Colombia on Sunday, where ropes were deployed to try to rescue survivors, authorities said.
“Nine people were rescued, three died and it is estimated that more than 20 people are still missing. This is a tragedy,” said President Gustavo Petro.
The collapse occurred in an isolated and mountainous area of the municipality of Pueblo Rico, according to Civil Defense. Dozens of crossing guards search for the passengers of a motorcycle and a public service bus, trapped in the collapse.
“The bus driver was backing up when it all came crashing down”
The deployed rescuers lamented “the death of a minor who, after being rescued, was transferred to the Pueblo Rico hospital (and) died before arriving,” Alexander Méndez, a spokesman for the organization, told the television news program Noticias Caracol. The girl was seven years old, authorities said.
The vehicle left the city of Cali (southwest) in the early hours of the morning and traveled about 270 kilometers before crashing in the western Andes mountain range towards Quibdó (northwest), according to Civil Defense.
According to the testimony of a survivor, the bus driver saw the collapse of the hill towards which he was heading.
“Part of it collapsed and the bus was a little further back. The bus driver was backing up when everything collapsed,” Andrés Ibargüen, who was evacuated from the city in an ambulance, told radio station Lloró Stéreo.
Source: BFM TV
