More floods and mudslides for Colombia

Persistent and heavy rain continues to cause extensive flooding across much of the South American country.

colombia bogota flooding la nina
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The La Nina weather phenomenon has caused prolonged periods of heavy rain and deadly floods in Colombia [AFP]

Persistent and heavy rain continues to cause extensive flooding across much of Colombia. This is something that has been ongoing since the middle of last year and it is directly linked with the La Nina weather phenomenon.

It has now led to what is being described as the worst natural disaster in the country’s history.

On Tuesday, a mudslide killed at least two people in Utica, 90km northeast of the Colombian capital, Bogota.

According to the government, 80 people have been killed in different incidents related to this year’s rains.

This includes 50 people who have died in the past four weeks alone.

Flooding is not unusual during Colombia’s rainy season, but this time round it has been particularly bad.

Juan Manual Santos, the Colombian president, visited one of the devastated areas on Monday and concluded that “the worst may be yet to come – especially in the Caldas department where there is a high risk of landslides”.

In fact 13 of the 32 departments in Colombia face a high risk of flooding and landslides as the downpours continue.

The rainy season runs from March to June and predictions from the government’s weather department suggest that the La Nina conditions will exacerbate the problems right up to the end of that period.

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies