Flooding, Landslides Kill More Than 260 in Colombia

 

Families and rescuers searched Sunday for victims of flooding and landslides² in southern Colombia. The destruction has killed more than 260 people, Reuters reported. More than 40 children are among the dead, President Juan Manuel Santos has confirmed.

Many of the bodies are now breaking down, Reuters reported Monday. Bodies wrapped in white cloth lay on the floor of the morgue. Officials are attempting to bury them as soon as possible to avoid the spread of disease. The government will begin vaccination³ against infectious disease Monday.

In addition, hundreds have been injured, and entire neighborhoods have been devastated⁴.

Water from a number of rivers flowed over land near Mocoa in the early hours Saturday. The flooding sent water, wet soil and debris⁵ crashing down streets and into houses as people slept.

Volunteers and emergency fire workers attended to 82 bodies in Villagarzon, the town where the river had carried the bodies. The workers said many dead bodies were still trapped in the debris.

Jhon Ever Calderon is the mayor of Villagarzon. He told Reuters that people have had to go find the bodies. What was worse, he explained, is that the town had no coffins⁷ or a clean place to put them.

Many families in Mocoa stayed awake through the night to search the debris, despite the lack of electricity, Reuters noted⁸.

“I need to know where they are, if they are injured or where to find them,” Maria Lilla Tisoy cried. She was searching the debris for a 4-year-old granddaughter and two of her daughters, one who is pregnant.

“If they are dead, please God deliver them to me,” she said.

President Santos traveled to the town of Mocoa again Sunday to supervise operations.

“We will continue to search for survivors⁹. And, the first thing I want to say is that my heart, our hearts and the hearts of all Colombians are with the victims of the tragedy,” he said.

Santos blamed climate change for the disaster, saying Mocoa had received one-third of its usual monthly rain in just one night.

Others said the cutting of forests in surrounding mountains mean few trees can prevent water from washing over the land.

Disaster officials said more than 500 people were staying in emergency housing. And, social services had helped 10 lost children find their parents.

The destruction came after days of extremely heavy rains. Large parts of the area are now without electrical power or running water.

Pope Francis spoke¹⁰ of the disaster Sunday at the Vatican, saying he was deeply saddened.

In Colombia, heavy rains, mountains, and informal construction make landslides common events. However, the intensity¹¹ of the Mocoa disaster was alarming compared to incidents in recent years. In 2015, for example, a landslide¹ killed nearly 100 people.

President Santos urged Colombians to take protective measures against the flooding and continuing rains.

He thanked China for donating $1 million in aid. He also thanked the Inter-American Development Bank for its $200,000 donation toward aid efforts. Santos also expressed appreciation¹² to Germany and Belgium, which are also donating aid.

In recent months, heavy rains and flooding have hit the Pacific coast of South America hard. The floods have killed many people in Peru and Ecuador.

I’m Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

landslide - n. a large mass of rocks and earth that suddenly and quickly moves down the side of a mountain or hill

morgue - n. a place where the bodies of dead people are kept until they are buried or cremated¹³

debris - n. the pieces that are left after something has been destroyed

coffin⁶ - n. a box in which a dead person is buried

climate change - n. a change in global climate patterns caused by an increase in carbon dioxide resulting from the use of fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas

1 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

2 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

3 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

4 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

5 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

6 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

7 coffins   

n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 )；使某人早亡[死，完蛋，垮台等]之物

参考例句：

• The shop was close and hot, and the atmosphere seemed tainted with the smell of coffins. 店堂里相当闷热，空气仿佛被棺木的味儿污染了。 来自辞典例句
• Donate some coffins to the temple, equal to the number of deaths. 到寺庙里，捐赠棺材盒给这些死者吧。 来自电影对白

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

12 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

13 cremated   

v.火葬，火化（尸体）( cremate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He wants to is cremated, not buried. 他要火葬，不要土葬。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bodies were cremated on the shore. 他们的尸体在海边火化了。 来自辞典例句