Natural disasters

 

Mocoa Tragedy

It was a natural disaster that occurred in the Colombian municipality of Mocoa, capital of the Department of Putumayo, during the night of March 31 and the early morning of April 1, 2017. Heavy rains caused the Mocoa, Mulato and Sangoyaco rivers to overflow, as well as the La Taruca and La Taruquita streams, generating landslides and mud flows that caused a large Fluvioterrential Avenue that affected several sectors of the municipal seat and caused the destruction of houses, bridges and dragged vehicles in their path.

The disaster also caused the collapse of telecommunications, damage to streets and lack of communication between Mocoa and other areas of the department of Putumayo, the neighboring department of Huila.

More than 330 dead and 400 injured, with a certain number of 300 missing, according to relief organizations such as the Red Cross. The national government declared a state of calamity in the area.

On April 5, 2017, in the waters of the Caquetá River, more than 62 bodies were found victims of the tragedy affecting the supply of drinking water to the municipality of Puerto Guzmán, and the neighboring municipalities of the department of Caquetá.