BOGOTA, Oct. 22, 2018 (BSS/Xinhua) – At least nine people were killed and
five more missing after heavy rains triggered a mudslide in northern Colombia
on Sunday, the local fire department said.
The early morning rains caused a mudslide that buried several homes in a
poor neighborhood, most of them made of wood, in the port city of
Barrancabermeja.
“We recovered nine bodies with no vital signs, five of them were minors
and four adults,” Fire Department Chief Alexander Diaz said.
“Fortunately, three children managed to get out when the mudslide hit and
are alive,” Diaz said.
“We won’t leave until we have recovered all of the bodies that were left
buried,” said Diaz, adding that “more than 45 units” from different agencies,
including Civil Defense, the Red Cross, Police Department and the Army, were
taking part in the rescue effort.
City Hall spokesperson Francy Elena Alvarez acknowledged authorities still
had no exact number of victims.
“It is uncertain right now to say how many are trapped because they are
working in the zone,” said Alvarez.
“There’s been mention of 11 people trapped by the emergency, but that
figure will likely climb,” she added.