At least 27 dead in Colombia landslide that buried a bus

AL: Jazeera:

A rain-fuelled landslide that buried a bus and other vehicles in Colombia’s northwest province of Risaralda has killed at least 27 people, authorities said.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced the updated death toll on Monday, writing on Twitter: “It is with sadness that I must announce that 27 people so far, including three minors, have lost their lives in the tragedy in Pueblo Rico, Risaralda.”

Petro expressed “solidarity with the families of the victims” claimed by Sunday’s landslide, adding that “they will have comprehensive support from the national government”.

The deaths come as the region contends with extreme weather resulting from the third straight year of La Nina, a climate pattern through which cooling water in the Pacific Ocean leads to high precipitation in the Andean mountains.

Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) has estimated that 271 people died between August 2021 and mid-November of this year from emergencies related to La Nina, while 348 others were injured out of an affected population of approximately 743,337.