Landslide in the municipality of Puerto Valdivia leaves at least seven people dead and nine others injured

In the early hours of this Monday, November 23, a landslide occurred in the municipality of Puerto Valdivia, village of Chachirime, which leaves, so far, seven dead and nine people injured, who are in assistance centers receiving medical attention. The road that connects Medellín with the Caribbean Coast is closed. Further, the connection with Caucasia, a subregion of Bajo Cauca in Antioquia, has a total closure, at kilometer 84, by soil removal processes, according to Invias.

The Administrative Department of Risk Management of Antioquia assured that, around 12:30 in the morning, the earth covered a commercial establishment in which 20 people were. The heavy rains in recent hours would have caused the landslide.

The mayor of Puerto Valdivia, Olga Arróyave, reported to RCN Radio that five people could be trapped. He also indicated that Firefighters and Invías personnel are in the area to help rescue more people.

In turn, the Valdivia fire commander, Jades Gomez, assured RCN Noticias that two of the 11 people injured were treated at the scene. Currently, there are also fifteen firefighting units in the area and they are in the process of removing debris with the help of machinery from Invías. He also confirmed that the landslide occurred in the upper area of ​​the mountain, at approximately 70 m. The search efforts are focused on two women who worked at the site.

According to information from the Semana portal, the commander of the Army’s Seventh Division, Major General Juan Carlos Ramírez Trujillo, confirmed that several troops are already supporting relief agencies in rescuing the victims of the emergency caused by the strong rains.

In addition, the governor of Antioquia, in dialogue with W Radio, confirmed that the event occurred when a landslide fell on a disco. He also assured that the wounded have multiple trauma and fractures.