Thirty seven known deaths following landslide in Chocó Department, Colombia.

Thirty seven people have now been confirmed dead, nineteen have been treated for a variety of injuries, and many more are thought to be buried under debris, following a landslide near the community of Carmen de Atrato in Chocó Department, Colombia, on Friday 12 January 2024. The landslide hit a section of road close to another section of road which had been closed due to an earlier landslide. About 60 people were waiting here in the hope that the road would be re-opened when the landslide hit. A large number of women and children from the group were waiting in a house where the owners had offered them food and shelter from the rains, but which was caught at the centre of the landslide.

Rescue workers searching for bodies buried beneath mud following a landslide in Chocó Department, Colombia, on 12 January 2024. Getty Images.

The landslides happened amid heavy rains in the area, following a period of drought. Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall. January is one of the drier months in Chocó Department, which has a tropical climate and is largely covered by rain forests, although the average rainfall for the month is still about 400 mm. 

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