The city of Velez in Santander, Colombia, has been virtually isolated by a massive landslide that has caused several sections of the Trans-Calare road, one of the main roads linking the region to Boyaca and the Colombian Caribbean, to collapse. The disaster occurred in early November and destroyed infrastructure, crops and surrounding homes. Related article: Dog and cat disappear after explosion in Tatuape. Families continue searching According to information from El Tiempo, the phenomenon, classified as a “mass movement” by the National Road Institute (Imbius), violated about three kilometers of the highway between kilometers 27 and 29. More than 25 villages remained isolated and more than 100 households were directly affected. Watch: Initial text of the plugin A video shared on social networks shows a section of road literally swallowed up by the earth, highlighting the seriousness of the situation and the impact on local residents. In addition to property losses, approximately 14,000 users remain without power, and heavy rains and unstable terrain continue to threaten new landslides. Eduardo Sánchez, Santander’s risk management director, stressed that the disaster also affected the city of Sucre, with more than 300 hectares of roads leading to Llandazuri damaged. Sanchez said three actions were prioritized: providing humanitarian assistance to affected families, finding alternative routes and continuing to monitor the area. Imbias warned that full recovery of the Karare Transverse River will require long-term structural interventions. Rebuilding the pavement and making it safe will require geological surveys and engineering projects, so technical teams are already working on temporary solutions to restore traffic. Mr. Sánchez also reported that 89 households were officially counted as affected in Veles, and that the National Disaster Risk Management Agency had sent a representative for assessment and technical assistance. “The area remains on high alert, but inspections of key locations are progressing due to less rainfall over the past few days,” he added.
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