Colombian Presidency Press Office / Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images(BOGOTA, Colombia) — At least 154 people are dead and about 200 injured after an overflow of water from a river in Colombia, according to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.
Heavy rains caused the water to rush into the province of Putumayo, sweeping homes away late Friday night and affecting at least 17 neighborhoods in the town of Mocoa.
As of Saturday afternoon, about 900 emergency personnel– including police, Army, Red Cross, Defense Department, and other officials– were on the ground in Mocoa, assisting in search and rescue operations and helping the injured. Officials said the continuing bad weather was hampering their rescue efforts, according to BBC.
Santos declared a state of emergency in the region. He told reporters when he arrived at the scene, “My heart and the hearts of all Colombians are with the victims of this tragedy.”
It is unknown how many are still missing. The flooding began overnight when many people were asleep, and some may not have had time to get to safety.
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