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Colombia / AP
An avalanche of water from an overflowing river swept through a city in Colombia while people slept, the wave quickly destroying homes and killing at least 24 unsuspecting residents, authorities said on Saturday.
The incident triggered by intense rains happened around midnight in Mocoa, a city of about 350,000 located near Colombia’s border with Ecuador, tucked between mountains and at the crux of two rivers. Muddy water and debris quickly surged the city’s streets, toppling homes, ripping trees from their roots, lifting cars and trucks and carrying them downstream. With most of the community deep in slumber when the water avalanche began, many residents did not have enough time to climb on top of their roofs or seek safety on higher ground.
Herman Granados, a surgeon at the local hospital, said he believed there are likely more than 300 people injured and that doctors were quickly running out of blood. He suspected the death toll would rise.
“Under the mud, I am sure there are many more,” he said on Saturday after working throughout the night on patients.