“There we can’t get anything. We don’t have clothes, we don’t have food.” These are the words of Jesús Alirio Zúñiga, one of the victims of the huge avalanche that occurred in the last hours on the Pan-American highwaybetween Popayán and Pasto, and which so far has affected more than 150 families.
(Also read: Emergency in the south of the country: landslide leaves travelers incommunicado).
The landslide damaged the villages of La Soledad, Santa Clara, Párraga Viejo and Chontaduro -located in Rosas, Cauca-, and He took several houses and the Alfonso Córdoba school.
“There was no time for anything, I managed to get out, my son was trapped and a daughter-in-law (…) They managed to get out today, around 10 in the morning,” said Zúñiga, who asked rescuers for help to their animals or any of their belongings.
“Here we are left with nothing,” he added, and asked the authorities that those affected be transferred to some place other than Rosas, since “the entire municipality has faults and is a risk area.”
(Also: Video: Total closure of the Popayán – Pasto highway due to landslide).
Precisely, the director of the Risk Management Advisory Office, Wisner Cortés, pointed out that relief agencies moved to the area, where they already rescued and took the people who had been trapped to safe places. Fortunately, there are no fatalities.
However, it is important to highlight that there is total closure of the Pan-American Highway due to the landslide at kilometer 75, Chontaduro village.
“We recommend that road users use alternate corridors; for light vehicles, La Sierra – Rosas – Popayán, and for heavy vehicles, Pasto – Mocoa – Popayán,” said Colonel José Ricardo Archila, commander of the Cauca Police.
ELTIEMPO.COM