UN offers help to Colombian landslide victims

The United Nations' Colombia office on Tuesday expressed its solidarity with victims of a massive landslide happening in northwest Colombia where so far 63 bodies have been found and 150 people are still missing.

The landslide took place inside the municipality of Salgar, department of Antioquia, in the early hours of Monday after heavy rains, which lasted all night, caused a local river to burst it's banks.

"Even though the full impact of this terrible disaster still has not been determined, already many lives have been lost and various people are still missing. On behalf of the United Nations we express our most deepest condolences to the families and friends of the deceased and we hope the injured make a speedy recovery," said UN in an official statement. "The United Nations are on hand to give all the help that the Colombian authorities deem necessary to respond to this tragedy that has saddened the whole country today."

Also, relief agencies in Salgar are still carrying out the search and rescue mission in hopes of finding the people who are still missing after the landslide.

Hundreds of victims have gathered at shelters set up by the authorities, where they are receiving emergency aid while a census is being carried out by the National Unit for Disaster Management.

The census will help the government to start assigning help to families in the form of housing benefits and building new houses as Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos promised to the victims Monday. Endite