VIDEO: At least 33 people were killed in a landslide in an indigenous community in northwestern Colombia, the country’s vice president said Saturday.
Vice President Francia Marquez wrote on social media Saturday that at least 33 people were killed and 19 others injured. She said it appeared that about 80 people in total were affected by the landslide.
Earlier, officials had put the toll in Friday’s landslide, which hit a road linking the cities of Medellin and Quibdo in Choco department, at 23 dead and 20 injured.
Authorities in Medellin said that, as of early Saturday, 17 bodies had been transported there and that forensic examiners had identified three of them. No names were released.
With several road closures, rescue crews and firefighters struggled to reach the hardest-hit area, and one official told AFP there had been a request for helicopters to help.
About 50 soldiers also arrived to assist, and images released by the army showed mud-covered men struggling through swampy terrain.
The landslide in Choco, which lies on the Pacific Ocean and is home to a vast tropical forest, followed more than 24 hours of intense rain.
Images shared on social networks and on television channels showed part of a mountain breaking loose and crashing down onto a line of cars, while screams are heard.
Via CBS News