Massive Landslides Bury Passenger Bus in Colombia; At Least 34 People Dead

Landslides have occurred in different parts of Colombia following persistent heavy rain events in some areas, according to reports on Tuesday, December 6.

One of these landslides struck a passenger bus in the town of Pueblo Rico, Risaralda, killing at least 34 people, including children.

The death toll may increase as rescue workers continue to search for survivors under the debris.

The bus, which was traveling from Southern Colombia to the northwest part of the country, was only one of the several vehicles where its passengers were trapped under the massive avalanche consisting of trees and Earth in the province of Risaralda.

Initial reports indicated that the bus was carrying 25 passengers and two drivers.

Meanwhile, latest reports say there were around at least 30 passengers on board.

Risaralda Landslide

(Photo : Photo by STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)
Rescue teams organize the search for people at a mountain landslide in the sector El Ruso, Pueblo Rico municipality, in northwestern Bogota, Colombia, on December 5, 2022. - At least 27 people were killed when a landslide engulfed a road in northwest Colombia, trapping people in a bus and other vehicles, said President Gustavo Petro on Monday.

The Risaralda landslide, caused by heavy rain, struck the bus on Monday, December 5, on the road between the villages of Pueblo Rico and Santa Cecilia in the said province, which is located 230 kilometers (140 miles) northwest of the capital city of Bogota, according to Colombia's national agency for managing risks and disasters, as cited by Reuters.

As rescuers continue to dig through the mud, the authorities said nine people have been rescued alive so far.

One of the survivors was a 7-year-old girl who was found clinging to her dead mother, said Risaralda Governor Victor Tamayo, as cited by the UK news agency.

Also Read: Colombia Declares State of Emergency After Heavy Rain Causes Deadly Landslides and Flooding in Cundinamarca and Other Areas

Colombia Climate and Weather

Colombia just deviated from its recent rainy season which spans from April to May and from October to November.

In this context, the recent Colombia torrential rain and Risaralda landslide is unusual since the country during December is supposedly dry.

According to Colombia's tourism website, the country is strongly influenced by the climatic phenomena El Nino and La Nina, where the former brings warmer, drier weather and the latter colder, wetter weather than normal.

Due to the influence of La Nina, different parts of the country can experience higher chances of rainfall and year-round, including the Pacific Coast in the northwest, which is one of the wettest placed in the world, according to the tourism site.

Colombia Landslide Incidents

Landslides are common in Colombia since the South American nation also consists of multiple valleys and mountains that are susceptible to mudslides or rockfalls following heavy rain or earthquakes.

In recent years, there have been several reported incidents of mass casualties due to landslides.

In April 2017, at least 254 people died when a large landslide of mud and rocks with raging waters covered the city of Mocoa following a series of heavy rain in Putamayo province, Colombia.

Another 203 people were injury with many in critical condition.

Over 1,000 emergency personnel, including police officers and soldiers, joined the rescue effort that time, The Guardian reported.

In 2015, a major landslide struck the town of Salgar in Antioquia province, Colombia, where at least 78 people died.

The rockfall was a result of several days of rainfall in the mountains above the town, mainly due to the softening of soil through runoff water.