Scenes of devastation after deadly floods and mudslides swept through Mocoa, Colombia
Parents search the ruins of their homes after a torrent of mud swept through Mocoa in southern Colombia – killing at least 254 people, many of them children.
Relatives and rescue workers have been desperately searching the mud-filled ruins of their homes for loved ones after a torrent of water, mud and debris swept through the city of Mocoa in southern Colombia, leaving at least 254 people dead, many of them children, with hundreds more missing and injured.
A man stares at the rubble left by mudslides following heavy rains in MocoaLuis Robayo/AFPPeople walk amid the rubble left by mudslides following heavy rains in MocoaLuis Robayo/AFPRescuers search for bodies or survivors in the rubble left by mudslides in MocoaLuis Robayo/AFPA woman cries after identifying her daughter's body in Villagarzon, ColombiaJaime Saldarriaga/Reuters
Several rivers burst their banks, sending water, mud and debris crashing down streets and into houses as people slept. At least 43 children are among the confirmed dead from the devastating flood. Young people were particularly vulnerable in this disaster because they were in bed when the floods surged through the city of 40,000.
The death toll from the flood, one of the worst natural disasters to strike the country in years, is expected to rise as many people remain unaccounted for, and bodies are still being pulled from the thick mud, tree limbs and debris that cover much of the city. The deluge smashed houses, tore trees out by the roots and washed cars and trucks away.
Rescuers look for bodies in a destroyed area in MocoaJaime Saldarriaga/ReutersA man looks at debris after floods and mud swept into the town of MocoaJaime Saldarriaga/ReutersAn excavator works to clear an area of MocoaJaime Saldarriaga/ReutersPeople recover their belongings after flooding and mudslides in MocoaJaime Saldarriaga/ReutersPeople walk in a destroyed area after flooding and mudslides in MocoaJaime Saldarriaga/ReutersA man walks among the ruins after flooding and mudslides in MocoaJaime Saldarriaga/ReutersPeople walk on a street destroyed after flooding and mudslidesJaime Saldarriaga/Reuters
Search-and-rescue teams are combing through the debris and helping people who have been clawing at huge mounds of mud by hand. Many have little of their former lives left to search through.
Dozens of people have been waiting at a local hospital, hoping for news of family members who were not on the list of those confirmed dead or injured. Others have been frantically knocking on relatives' doors, hoping to find someone with information about their loved ones.
People wait to identify the bodies of their relatives at a cemetery after flooding and mudslides in MocoaJaime Saldarriaga/ReutersPeople wait to identify the bodies of their relatives at a cemetery in MocoaJaime Saldarriaga/ReutersA woman faints after identifying the body of a family member in MocoaJaime Saldarriaga/Reuters
The bodies of victims are laid out on the floor after flooding and mudslides caused by heavy rains in VillagarzonJaime Saldarriaga/Reuters
A soldier sprays air freshener over bodies of victims in VillagarzonJaime Saldarriaga/Reuters
Police identify bodies after flooding and mudslides caused by heavy rains in VillagarzonJaime Saldarriaga/Reuters
Mocoa is vulnerable to flooding. It is surrounded by three rivers in a natural basin created by the surrounding mountains. The danger has grown worse in recent years because of deforestation, which eliminates some protection from run-off, and because many people built their homes close to the water. But the triggering event was rainfall of more than 5 inches (130 millimetres) that began on Friday.
Rescuer workers cross a swollen river in MocoaJaime Saldarriaga/Reuters
A man looks at a street destroyed by flooding and mudslides in MocoaJaime Saldarriaga/ReutersA man walks among the ruins after flooding and mudslides in MocoaJaime Saldarriaga/ReutersA dog is seen on a street destroyed after flooding in MocoaJaime Saldarriaga/ReutersView of a street destroyed by mudslides in MocoaJaime Saldarriaga/ReutersA man looks at flood debris in Mocoa, ColombiaJaime Saldarriaga/ReutersAn aerial view shows a flooded area after heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads in MocoaCesar Carrion/Colombian Presidency/ReutersColombia's President Juan Manuel Santos flies over a flooded areaCesar Carrion/Colombian Presidency/ReutersColombia's President Juan Manuel Santos gestures while visiting MocoaCesar Carrion/Colombian Presidency/ReutersPeople remove mud at night after a mudslide caused by heavy rains in MocoaLuis Robayo/AFPMen sit outside their home, which was damaged by mudslides in MocoaLuis Robayo/AFPA man cleans mud out of his store in MocoaLuis Robayo/AFPA man looks at the living room of his house damaged by mudslides in MocoaLuis Robayo/AFPA boy sits next to a motorcycle destroyed by the mudslides in MocoaLuis Robayo/AFPA woman walks through the rubble left by mudslidesLuis Robayo/AFP
Colombian officials have pledged aid to rebuild homes, and the attorney general launched an investigation into whether local and national authorities responded adequately to the disaster. Santos also said they would launch a health and vaccination campaign in the city to prevent an outbreak of disease. "Mocoa needs to rise up from this blow," he said. "And it will."
