The death toll from a landslide in northwestern Colombia has risen to at least 33, with children making up the majority of the victims, according to the vice president.
Nineteen others were hurt, and rescue efforts are ongoing.
Landslides halted the route between Medellín and Quibdo, forcing people to leave their automobiles and seek safety in houses, according to an official.
However, another landslide occurred, burying them and part of the vehicles.
Colombian President Gustavo Preto has promised “all help available” to the Choco area.
A local authority confirmed that the landslide occurred near the Colombian village of Carmen de Atrato.
As many as 60 people were looking for shelter at an intersection. According to one survivor, the house was filled with ladies and little children.
Choosing to talk anonymously to El Tiempo newspaper, he stated that sausage and fried plantains were provided to people entering the premises from the severe rain.
But then, in a matter of seconds, the avalanche rushed over the house and surrounding automobiles.
In a post on X, Vice President Francia Márquez Mina stated that relief agencies, local authorities, police, and the army had all been mobilized to assist with search and rescue efforts in the Choco region.
The tragedy has devastated the South American country, with widespread media coverage and many people expressing their shock and sympathies on social media.
Choco province, which borders the Pacific Ocean, is highly forested and saw heavy rainfall on Friday and Saturday.
The local mayor confirmed on Saturday that several individuals were still trapped by the rubble.
Images on social media and broadcast networks showed cars that had been wrecked and partially covered by mud and falling debris.
While Colombia is now experiencing a drought, the country’s Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental Studies has previously warned of the dangers posed by heavy rainfall in places bordering the Pacific and Amazon jungles.
