Pope prays for victims of landslide in Colombia

By Joseph Tulloch

Pope Francis has said he is “deeply saddened” by a landslide which struck western Colombia on Friday.

In a telegram addressed to Bishop Mario de Jesús Álvarez Gómez, the Apostolic Administrator of Quibdó, Pope Francis offered his “fervent prayers for the eternal repose of the deceased.”

He asked God to “grant consolation to the bereaved, and to all those who are suffering in these moments of pain and uncertainty, and to sustain with His graces all those who are committed to the search for those who have disappeared.”

The telegram, signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, concludes with the Pope's prayer that "the Most Holy Virgin Mary may intercede with her son Jesus Christ for all those affected by this catastrophe" and imparts his "consoling apostolic blessing as a sign of his spiritual closeness.”

During his weekly Angelus address on Sunday, Pope Francis also recalled the victims of the mudslide.

“Let us not forget to pray for the victims of the landslide in Colombia, which has claimed many victims,” he said.

Death toll at 34

The death toll from the mudslide has now risen to 34.

The disaster struck on Friday on a busy road in a mountainous area connecting the cities of Quibdo and Medellin in the west of the country.

Colombia’s National Disaster Risk Management Unit initially said in a statement that at least 18 people were killed. The statement added that at least 35 injured people were taken to hospital.

The new death toll was reported on Saturday by the Chocó Governor’s Office, and confirmed by the Prosecutor’s Office.

President Gustavo Petro said on Friday that his government would provide all necessary support, describing the event as a “horrible tragedy.”