In Colombia rescuers were searching for more bodies on Tuesday and were trying to help hundreds of survivors after a a deadly landslide through the alpine town of Salgar before dawn on Monday, carrying away people, homes and killing at least 58 people with many still missing.
"The river took out everything in its path," said Diego Agudelo, a construction worker, who said the back part of his house was lost to the swirling currrents. The event was the deadliest since a 1999 earthquake in the city of Armenia that had left hundreds dead.
Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos traveled to oversee the relief efforts and said some of the children had lost their parents. Santos said some bodies would need to be taken away for identification and vowed to rebuild the homes and provide shelter and assistance for the estimated 500 people affected.
Colombia's topography - an area prone to earthquake and seismic activity - combined with shoddy construction practices has made the country one of most disaster-prone in the region. More than 150 disasters have struck the country over the past 40 years, claiming more than 32,000 lives and affecting more than 12 million people, according to the Inter-American Development Bank.
IN-DEPTH:
Colombia Landslide Kills More Than 50, Injures Dozens
Search For Missing In Colombian Town Hit by Avalanche, Flooding
-The Associated Press