At least 16 people have died in a Colombia landslide near Medellín, Colombia’s second-largest city, after days of heavy rainfall triggered the collapse of a hillside onto homes.
The disaster struck the municipality of Bello, located in the mountainous Antioquia department, north-west Colombia. Authorities confirmed on Thursday that 16 bodies had been recovered, while eight more people remain missing.
Search and rescue operations continued on Thursday, with teams digging through tons of mud and debris in the hopes of finding survivors or recovering victims. The unstable terrain has made the effort extremely dangerous.
Bello’s mayor, Lorena González, said that the ground remains highly unstable, and rescue teams are operating under serious risk.
According to local officials, the Colombia landslide was triggered by intense rainfall that caused a nearby stream to overflow, inundating the area and displacing earth onto residential homes.
In early May, a separate landslide in the municipality of Sabaneta, south of Medellín, also claimed at least five lives, again following extreme rain. The repeated incidents have drawn attention to the increased vulnerability of hillside communities during the rainy season.
Emergency teams continue to monitor the area, as forecasts suggest more rain is likely in the coming days.
VIDEO | Una riada provocada por un fuerte aguacero deja diez fallecidos y quince heridos en Bello, ciudad del área metropolitana de Medellín (Colombia). pic.twitter.com/OfmrjJHgO2
— EFE Noticias (@EFEnoticias) June 25, 2025
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