The death toll in a landslide in Colombia rises to 22 with 8 missing
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The number of people killed in a landslide this week in northwest Colombia has risen to 22, with eight still missing, according to authorities.
Crews on Saturday were still looking for victims in Medellín, Colombia's second-largest city, and the nearby city of Bello.
The landslide occurred early Tuesday following heavy rains. It unleashed mud and debris on crowded neighborhoods, enveloping dozens of homes and leaving hundreds homeless.
Landslides are common in that region, especially during the rainy season from April to November.
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Associated Press
a day ago
- Associated Press
The death toll in a landslide in Colombia rises to 22 with 8 missing
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The number of people killed in a landslide this week in northwest Colombia has risen to 22, with eight still missing, according to authorities. Crews on Saturday were still looking for victims in Medellín, Colombia's second-largest city, and the nearby city of Bello. The landslide occurred early Tuesday following heavy rains. It unleashed mud and debris on crowded neighborhoods, enveloping dozens of homes and leaving hundreds homeless. Landslides are common in that region, especially during the rainy season from April to November.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Associated Press
At least 11 dead after landslide buries homes in northwest Colombia
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — At least 11 people have been killed in a landslide in northwestern Colombia, local authorities said on Wednesday, a day after heavy rains unleashed the wall of mud and debris on crowded neighborhoods and buried some dozen homes. Rescue workers continued to dig through the rubble and search for survivors in Colombia's second-largest city of Medellin and the nearby mountainous town of Bello, where at least 15 people remain missing. Authorities in Bello swiftly transformed schools and community centers, even a swimming pool, into shelters that quickly filled with over 1,300 people who lost or couldn't access their homes as a result of flooding, said Mayor Lorena González Ospina. The overall death toll from the landslide increased to 11, said Federico Gutiérrez, mayor of Medellin, as emergency workers in Bello pressed on with search and rescue efforts using dogs, drones and other tools. His office ordered the immediate evacuation of over 60 homes in Medellin that had suffered structural damage. Landslides are common in this verdant area of Colombia, especially during the rainy season from April to November, when downpours loosen the soil. Floodwaters from almost two consecutive days of torrential rainfall caused streams to overflow Tuesday morning while most residents were sleeping. The resulting flood surged through the cities, carrying tons of debris and sweeping away cars and other personal belongings. Colombia's Weather Service predicted light rains on Wednesday, far less extreme than those that hit the region earlier this week. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Thunderstorm watch in effect for B.C. Interior; landslide warning issued
A severe thunderstorm watch across B.C.'s southern Interior has prompted the Lower Similkameen Indian Band (LSIB) to extend a landslide warning in parts of the Similkameen Valley already vulnerable due to past wildfires. Environment Canada issued a thunderstorm watch on Sunday for the Okanagan, Shuswap and West Kootenay regions, including Kelowna, warning of possible hail, flash flooding and strong wind gusts. In response, the LSIB has extended its slope monitoring system warning for the Ashnola and Chopaka areas until 1 a.m. PT on June 26. The original alert was set to expire Sunday. "We've had a slope monitoring program in effect here for a couple of months now," said Justin Smith, communications co-ordinator and emergency response manager for the band. "Because of the number of recent fires within the Similkameen Valley and further west and north, we initiated this process." The warning system, launched in partnership with Westrek Geotechnical Services, includes a static weather station set up on Keremeos Mountain in early April to provide real-time slope monitoring for the surrounding areas. Smith says much of the landscape is still recovering from wildfires like the Snowy Mountain blaze in 2018, which left behind severe burn scars and damaged root systems, weakening the structural integrity of the soil. "Some of the soil has been literally cooked to where it will not support life," he said. "Without the root systems of trees and native grasses, it causes the slope to lose strength. "When you get 10 to 20 millimetres of precipitation over a short period, it can overwhelm that base and cause debris flows, or even a mudslide." Though most of the Ashnola area is uninhabited, Smith says one LSIB village sits right at the confluence of the Similkameen and Ashnola rivers, making continuous monitoring essential. "The Snowy Mountain fire burned significantly into that area. We later saw banks collapsing and flooding that caused serious infrastructure damage in Chopaka," he said. He says it's not a question of if another slide will happen, but when. "We want people ... to be safely looked after, or at least have a warning about it." In its bulletin, Environment Canada warned that conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing strong wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain. The agency also cautioned that heavy rain can cause flash flooding and significant reductions to visibility, while strong wind gusts can damage trees, buildings and overturn vehicles.
