South Colombia landslide kills 13, injures 29

A landslide in the southern Colombian Nariño department killed 13 people and injured 29, local authorities said Friday.

The tragedy took place Thursday in the village of San Gerardo, where most people were killed when the landslide destroyed a bar where the victims were attending a party.

Apart from the bar, another four houses were hit by the landslide.

The town’s mayor told newspaper El Tiempo that rescue workers are looking for at least one possible survivor after hearing “voices” from beneath the rubble.

According to the governor of Nariño, Antonio Navarro Wolf, 400 families living in the vicinity of where the landslide took place need to be evacuated because of fears of other landslides.

The Nariño landslide took place hours after a landslide struck a village in the north of Colombia. Rescue workers there on Friday morning were still looking for five missing persons who are feared dead under the rubble.

As a result of of this year’s extended rainy season, more than 280 people have died in landslides and floods. According to the Red Cross and national authorities, more than 2 million Colombians are affected by the rains, floods and landslides. The material damage to private property and infrastructure is estimated to be $6 billion.


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