Colombia – Heavy Rain Triggers Flooding and Deadly Landslide in Cali

by in Americas, News

Two people have died after heavy rain triggered a landslide in the city of Santiago de Cali, capital of Valle del Cauca Department in Colombia.

Landslide in Cali, Colombia, March 2021. Photo: Government of Cali

Heavy rain fell overnight 10-11 March, 2021. Secretary of Risk Management in Cali, Rodrigo Zamorano, described the rainfall as “extraordinary and unusual”. Local media said in the space of around 90 minutes the city saw 60% of the rain it would normally see for the whole month of March. Average rainfall for March in Cali is around 150mm.

Central areas of the city were flooded after the Cañaveralejo river broke its banks. The Cauca river is also high and a Yellow Alert has been issued.

The Cali Fire Department responded to over 60 incidents. A mother and her child died when a landslide destroyed a house in the Siloé district of the city. Another landslide blocked a road in Pance, to the south west of the city.

Heavy rain has affected parts of the Valle del Cauca Department over the last week. Civil Defence reported 35 people were affected by flooding in Versalles municipality on 08 March. One house was destroyed and several others damaged.

Landslide in Cali, Colombia, March 2021. Photo: Government of Cali

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