Overflowing rivers in Colombia leave families homeless and in fear
News by Día a Día News
Eduardo Vargas, 29, was sleeping with his wife and seven-month-old baby when he was awakened by the beating of the neighbors at the door of his house in Colombia. He picked up his family and started running toward a mountain among screams of people in panic, Día a Día News reports.
Three rivers overflowed in Colombia, causing the deaths of nearly 200 people. Another 200 people are still missing. These are the worst natural tragedies that the country recalls, Día a Día adds.
“We did not have time for anything,” Vargas said.
At dawn on Friday, a mud and rubble avalanche buried much of this city of 42,000 people, left houses down in its path, ripped trees and dragged cars.
Vargas and his family waited along with a score of neighbors while the rubble engulfed their houses. In the morning, when the Army helped them return, their homes had been reduced to rocks and dirt.
“God saved our lives,” Vargas said.
President Juan Manuel Santos from the area, declared a state of calamity and opened a bank account to receive donations for the victims found in shelters.
“These rains are increasingly intense and we have to be prepared,” Santos said.
More than a thousand rescuers have stopped searching for bodies due to lack of security and electricity. These are the worst rains the country has seen in 25 years.
