Victims of landslides caused by heavy rain in the area of Soacha, south of Bogota, will receive government subsidies.
The Cundinamarca department, where Soacha is located, will give 150 subsidies of COP200,000 to people affected by this season’s heavy rainfall.
“The most important thing is the collaboration with the citizens so that they leave the places, it’s a painful decision, but at this moment there is a mountain with a high risk of collapsing, it’s essential that the people leave these places to prevent a tragedy,” said Cundinamarca Governor Andres Gonzales, reports Radio Santa Fe.
More than 100 families have been evacuated and placed in shelters, and work has begun to prevent further landslides, floods and avalanches.
According to Colombia’s Red Cross, the severe rainy season has affected 986,000 people this year, as BBC World reports. The Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) estimates that the number of victims will exceed one million due continuing rain fall caused by the La Niña weather phenomenon.