Bogota: A major accident took place in Colombia on Sunday. Rain-triggered landslides buried a bus and other vehicles in Risaralda province in the northwest, and at least 33 people have been confirmed dead, while the search for many others is underway. Colombian Interior Minister Alfonso Prada said that the bodies of 33 people, including 3 minors, have been found so far. 9 people have been evacuated alive out of which four are in critical condition. On Monday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed his condolences over the incident and said the government stands with the families of the victims in this difficult time.
Rescue work still going on, many people missing
According to the report, the province of Risaralda is about 230 km (140 mi) from the capital, Bogotá. Heavy rains triggered a landslide here between the villages of Pueblo Rico and Santa Cecilia, trapping a bus and several other vehicles. The bus that was hit was traveling between Cali, Colombia’s third largest city, and Condado in Choco province. About 25 people were on board the bus at the time of the accident. Apart from these 25, several other occupants of another vehicle were also victims of the accident and died. Rescue work is still going on.
The President promised all possible help
Colombian President Gustavo Petro promised all possible help to the families of the victims after the tragedy. Colombian Interior Minister Alfonso Prada said that we are all deeply saddened by this incident. So far we have found 33 dead bodies including 3 minors. Apart from this, 9 people have been rescued alive, out of which the condition of four is critical. A person who survived the accident said that when the debris was falling, the bus driver tried hard to save the bus.
About 7 lakh people were affected in a year,
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management estimates that 271 people lost their lives in disaster events between August 2021 and November 2022 in the La Niña region. In which the number of injured is 348 and a population of 7,43,337 has been affected. Earlier in February, 14 people were killed and 35 injured in a landslide.