Colombian Authorities Update on Damage Caused by Heavy Rains

Colombia remains severely affected after heavy rains and landslides that hit the country last Tuesday, leaving eight dead and 14 missing persons so far.

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The departments of Bogota, Cauca, Caldas, Cundinamarca, and Santander have also reported landslides, collapsed roads, destroyed homes, and about a hundred evacuees.

In the Piedacuesta municipality, in the state of Santander, "a landslide caused by torrential rains devastated four roads, forcing the evacuation of 150 people," the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management director Eduardo Gonzalez said.

"The tragedy has devastated each of these territories. The numbers of dead and missing people increase with each day, as does the material damage," he added.

The heavy rains experienced at the Colombian mountains are caused by the annual transition between the dry season and the rainy season, which is expected to begin by mid-March.

"There will be a greater frequency of rainy days and occasionally the appearance of heavy rains, which could generate torrential events, mainly in mountainous areas," the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam) researcher Daniel Useche said.​​​​​​​

Due to this possibility, he urged the Colombians to "take preventive measures and identify areas of greater risk in the face of the possibility of sudden avalanches."

Currently, over 150 members of the Red Cross, Civil Defense, and the Colombian army are searching for missing people among the rubble and under the mud in the affected areas. 

On Wednesday, a nine-month-old baby was rescued alive in Santander after being buried under the mud for hours. According to local media, the child's health is stable.