-
Colombian authorities said at least 273 people were killed when rivers surrounding Mocoa overflowed and sent a wall of water and debris surging through the city over the weekend. The death toll was expected to rise since many more were missing and bodies are still being found. (Reuters)
-
The death toll from the flood, one of the worst natural disasters to strike the country in years, was expected to rise as many people were injured or remained unaccounted for, and bodies were still being pulled from the thick mud, tree limbs and debris that covered much of the city. The deluge smashed houses, tore trees out by the roots and washed cars and trucks away. (AP/PTI)
-
Dozens stood in the door of a hospital, hoping for news of family members who were not on the list of those confirmed dead or injured. Others frantically knocked on relatives' doors, hoping to find someone with information about their loved ones. (Reuters)
-
Hundreds of rescuers were working at the scene of the disaster, using mechanical diggers in the search. Locals said it was never safe to live so close to the three rivers that overflowed after days of torrential rain. (Reuters)
-
The young may have been particularly vulnerable in this disaster because nearly all were in bed when the floods surged through the city of 40,000. (Reuters)
-
Much of Mocoa was still strewn with rocks, tree limbs, and brown muck. Search and rescue teams continued to probe debris piles when someone heard a possible sound of movement. Many in this city of around 40,000 people still seemed in shock from the flood, which poured through the town after a punishing rainfall as people slept late Friday night and early Saturday. (Reuters)
-
Colombian President Santos said the mudslide destroyed a local aqueduct and knocked out power to much of the surrounding department. Santos and other officials pledged both emergency relief and that Mocoa would be rebuilt, including a new water system to replace the one damaged in the flood and new homes for those in the 17 neighborhoods hit hardest by the surging water. He said he had spoken by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump, who promised assistance as have other nations including China and Venezuela. (Reuters)
-
Most of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in the town of 40,000 are poor and populated with people uprooted during Colombia's five-decade-long civil war. The Pacific northwest of South America has been hit hard by recent floods and mudslides, with scores killed in Peru and Ecuador. (Reuters)
-
Mocoa is vulnerable to flooding. It is surrounded by the three rivers in a natural basin created by the surrounding mountains. (Reuters)
-
The danger has grown worse in recent years because of deforestation, which eliminates some protection from runoff, and because many people built their homes close to the water. But the triggering event was rainfall of more than 5 inches (130 millimeters) that began late Friday. (Reuters)
-
A 1989 hydrology report for the Agricultural Ministry warned that just such a disaster could happen unless steps were taken to reinforce the riverbanks, channel water away from the town and restore some of the forest. It was not immediately clear why those steps had not been taken. (AP)
-
Colombian officials pledged aid to rebuild homes, and the attorney general launched an investigation into whether local and national authorities responded adequately to the disaster. (Reuters)
e-Aadhaar app launch in India: Update your date of birth, address and phone number instantly with the upcoming all-in-one app
