The PONALSAR teams (guide and canine) continue their search efforts for the victims of the landslide that occurred on the Quibdó – Medellín road.
Early this Saturday, January 13, search and rescue work was resumed on the road that leads from Quibdó to Medellín, after a landslide that occurred at kilometer 17 of the municipality of Carmen del Atrato, Chocó. So far, the emergency has claimed the lives of at least 33 people, as confirmed by Jaime Arturo Herrera, mayor of Carmen de Atrato, Chocó.
The mayor of Carmen de Atrato, Jaime Arturo Herrera, revealed that this Saturday, January 13, the lifeless bodies of six people were found in the place where the landslide occurred. Thus, the number of deaths rose to 33 victims.
For her part, the Vice President of Colombia, Francia Márquez Mina, confirmed through her Twitter account that the majority of the victims are girls and boys.
“At this time, search and rescue actions continue for the people who remain trapped under the landslide on the Quibdó-Medellín highway, in Carmen del Atrato,” wrote Márquez Mina.
And I add: «I deeply regret the death of 33 people in this tragedy, mostly girls and boys, according to preliminary reports from the territory. “All our solidarity with the department of Chocó and the families of the victims.”
#Choco The PONALSAR teams (guide and canine) continue their search efforts for the victims of the landslide that occurred on the Quibdó – Medellín road.
Courtesy of W Radio Colombia pic.twitter.com/xCRoSWb0wM
— El Diario Pereira (@eldiariopereira) January 13, 2024
According to preliminary reports, at least 50 people, including men, women, older adults and children, were inside a residence taking shelter from the heavy downpour when they were surprised by the mass movement.
According to Francisco Vidal, secretary of the interior of Chocó, the work to remove debris and recover victims continues in the area. Meanwhile, the Unified Command Post (PMU) installed in the departmental administration offices is permanently active.
The director (e) of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), Victor Andres Meza, traveled to the landslide area together with entities from the National Disaster Risk Management System (SNGRD) to evaluate the effects and establish emergency response actions.
The victims
As the technical inspection of corpses progresses, the identities of the victims left by the landslide recorded on the road that connects Quibdó with Medellín are becoming known.
So far, four of the victims of the tragedy in Carmen de Atrato have been identified, among them Catalina María Giraldo, Yirlesa Palacios, Karen Yuliana Garcés and María Fernanda Moreno, who are in Legal Medicine.
The authorities and relief agencies managed to clear all the landslides that were recorded on the road. However, passage remains restricted in the sectors known as El Siete and Tutuendo where search and rescue efforts are progressing. Approximately 40 people participate at the site, including specialized teams from Bogotá and Medellín.