- Title: Colombia: Volcanic Eruption Kills More Than 20,000
- Date: 14th November 1985
- Summary: At least 20,000 people died when the Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupted on November 13, sending torrents of mud cascading over the town of Armero, burying thousands of people. The area was later declared a sacred site; most of the victims were never found.
- Embargoed:
- Keywords:
- Access Restrictions:This media cannot be downloaded as there may be copyright restrictions. Please contact us for more information
- Location: COLOMBIA TOLIMA PROVINCE
- Reuters ID: LDL0011GTDHXV
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text:TOLIMA PROVINCE, COLOMBIA
A worldwide aid operation was mounted on November 15 for the victims of the volcano disaster which struck the Colombian Andes the previous day. The Nevado del Ruiz peak in the central province of Tolima erupted with devastating force to throw tons (tonnes) of ash and rock some 26.000 feet (8,000 metres) into the air and cover vast tracts of land in mud and flood-water. At least 20,000 people were feared dead in the disaster. The United Nations began organising an airlift to help victims and the Red Cross sent in clothing and medical supplies. United States President Ronald Reagan told Colombian President Belisario Betancur in a personal message that news of the tragedy had chocked him deeply and promised all possible aid to Colombia, which he described as a "good and close ally". The eruption cut almost all communications in the region, hampering rescue work and making an accurate estimate of damage virtually impossible. Survivors arriving in the capital, Bogota, looked stunned and dazed. Many of them had been swept along by the torrent; in some cases with such force that their clothes were ripped off their bodies. The town of Armero, in the worst hit area at the foot of the volcanic peak, was declared a national crematorium in order that any bodies lying buried in the mud might be left undisturbed.
Source: BBC/T.V. Hoy - Copyright Holder: Reuters Archive
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp