Protect environment, prevent natural disasters – 48 dead in mudslides in Colombia

Heavy rains led to a huge landslide that sent mud and water crashing into homes in a town in Colombia`s northwest mountains leaving at least 48 people dead and injuring dozens. Carlos Ivan Marquez, the director of the national disaster unit, has confirmed that there are 48 bodies in the morgue; apart from 27 injured people who have been attended to. Search is on for survivors since many people are believed to be missing.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 19 May 2015.

It seems the earth slid into the course of the La Liboriana ravine which led to an avalanche. This, in turn, destroyed everything in its path. This has been indicated by the regional police commander Jose Angel Mendoza.
Such natural disasters are due to the degradation of environment – in hilly areas, trees help to bind the soil together but, when trees are cut down, the binding disappears and, when there are heavy rains, the soil hurtle downwards and gathers momentum. The result is devastation and death.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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