Colombia – Landslides in Manizales Leave 16 Dead, 7 Missing

by in Americas, News

Officials in Colombia report that at least 16 people have been killed, 7 more are missing and over 20 injured after landslides in the city of Manizales, Department of Caldas.

The landslides that were triggered by heavy rains in the early hours of Wednesday, 19 April. 2017. The mayor of Manizales Jose Octavio Cardona said that a local weather station at Hospital de Caldas recorded 156.4 mm of rain in just 5 to 6 hours during the night, which is the same amount that normally accumulates in a month.

President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos visited the affected areas yesterday. The President said that, according to official records, heavy rain and landslides had caused damage in 16 districts of the city. Around 500 families have been affected and 80 homes left some degree of destruction.

Colombia’s National Unit for the Management of Disaster Risk (UNGRD) said that affected districts of the city included Alto Persia, Aranjuez, Alto del Perro and la Fuente.

Preventative evacuations have been carried out in other districts. Drinking water has been cut off in several parts of the city. Schools, colleges and universities have suspended activities.

Search and rescue teams made up of personnel from police, military, the Colombian Red Cross and Manizales firefighters are working in the area.

Manizales is situated about 140 km south of Medellin and 160 km west of Bogota.

This is the second major flood and landslide event to hit Colombia in recent weeks. At least 323 people were killed when heavy rain caused several rivers to flood in Mocoa on 01 April, 2017.

Other areas of central and western Colombia saw heavy rainfall yesterday.

WMO Rainfall figures, 24 Hours 18 to 19 April 2019

  • Barrancabermeja / Yariguies – 92 mm
  • Ibague / Perales – 70 mm
  • Armenia/ El Eden – 52 mm
  • Quibdo/ El Carano – 90 mm
  • Cali / Alfonso Bonilla Aragon – 89.9 mm
Landslide in Manizales, Colombia, April 2017. Photo: Mayor of Manizales
Army personnel working to clear landslide debris in Manizales, Colombia, April 2017. Photo: Army of Colombia

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