Colombia Landslide Recovery Concludes After 27 Confirmed Dead

Search Ends in Bello; Focus Shifts to Supporting Survivors

After a 14-day search, rescue operations concluded Monday in Half Vereda, Bello, Colombia, following a devastating landslide that claimed 27 lives. Attention is now directed toward aiding affected families.

Final Victim Recovered

The body of the last missing person was recovered, prompting authorities to terminate the intensive search involving relief agencies and local residents. Unofficial reports suggest the recovered individual was a man found on Monday afternoon.

The local mayor’s office, along with the DAGRAN (Administrative Department of Risk Management of Antioquia) and the UNGRD (National Unit for Disaster Risk Management), dismantled their unified command post near the site where the June 24 landslide buried homes. The disaster, according to preliminary findings, resulted in 27 fatalities.

Support for Displaced Residents

According to the Mayor’s Office, “The commitment of the Bellanite municipal administration, at the head of its mayor Lorena González Ospina, was to reach the recovery of the last of the disappeared and thus provide the tranquility required to their families and relatives.”

As of Monday, 128 people from 40 families remain in temporary housing arranged by the administration. The city has initiated protocols to provide lease subsidies to 163 affected families, according to the mayor’s office.

“We have started the protocols to deliver lease subsidies at 163 affected families. All will receive housing offer and for a month, economic support while consolidating the documentation required for lease subsidies. We know that this support is urgent and necessary,” the office stated.

Memorial Service Planned

A liturgical ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, July 10, at 5:00 p.m. at the Our Lady of the Rosary parish in Bello’s main park, honoring the victims of what’s been called the Aburrá Valley’s most severe landslide in decades. The municipal government will host this service.

Investigation into Cause Ongoing

The landslide, impacting both Half Vereda and a sector of the Santo Domingo neighborhood in Medellín, occurred early on Tuesday, June 24. Authorities have yet to determine the exact cause, although the National Risk Management Office reports that 75% of disasters in Colombia are climate related (UNGRD January 2024).

The focus remains on providing support to those who have lost their homes and loved ones in this tragic event.