Torrent of floodwaters sweeps through Colombian town
An aerial view of Mocoa, Colombia, Saturday, April 1, 2017. Surging rivers sent an avalanche of floodwaters, mud and debris through the city, killing at least 200 people and leaving many more injured and homeless.
Disaster in Mocoa
A man walks among the ruins after flooding and mudslides, caused by heavy rains leading several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads, in Mocoa, Colombia April 2, 2017.
Disaster in Mocoa
A man searches for his belongings after heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads in Mocoa, Colombia, April 1, 2017.
Disaster in Mocoa
A man walks among the ruins after flooding and mudslides, caused by heavy rains leading several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads, in Mocoa, Colombia April 2, 2017.
Disaster in Mocoa
President Juan Manuel Santos said Sunday that at least 207 were killed but that the death toll was changing “every moment.” Authorities said another 200 people - many of them children - were injured, and just as many were unaccounted for amid the destruction.
In addition, Gov. Sorrel Aroca of Putumayo Department, which includes Mocoa, said there are also people reported missing in surrounding communities.
Disaster in Mocoa
Soldiers and residents work together in rescue efforts in Mocoa, Colombia, Saturday, April 1, 2017, after an avalanche of water from an overflowing river swept through the city as people slept.
Herman Granados, an anesthesiologist, said he worked throughout the night on victims. Some of the hospital workers came to help even though their own relatives remained missing. “Under the mud,” Granados told the Associated Press, “I am sure there are many more.”
Disaster in Mocoa
People in Mocoa pry through piles of rocks and wooden planks that entombed homes.
Disaster in Mocoa
A man walks on a street destroyed after flooding and mudslides, caused by heavy rains leading several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads, in Mocoa, Colombia April 2, 2017.
Disaster in Mocoa
A dog is seen on a street destroyed after flooding and mudslides caused by heavy rains leading several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads in Mocoa, Colombia April 2, 2017.
Disaster in Mocoa
Rescuers search for survivors in Mocoa, Colombia, Sunday, April 2, 2017. A grim search for the missing resumed at dawn Sunday in southern Colombia after surging rivers sent an avalanche of floodwaters, mud and debris through a city, killing at least 200 people and leaving many more injured and homeless.
Disaster in Mocoa
A man works on a truck after flooding and mudslides caused by heavy rains leading several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads in Mocoa, Colombia April 2, 2017.
Disaster in Mocoa
A man looks at a street destroyed after flooding and mudslides, caused by heavy rains leading several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads, in Mocoa, Colombia April 2, 2017.
Disaster in Mocoa
A man looks at a street destroyed after flooding and mudslides, caused by heavy rains leading several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads, in Mocoa, Colombia April 2, 2017.
Disaster in Mocoa
A soldier carries a child in Mocoa, Colombia, Saturday, April 1, 2017, after an avalanche of water from an overflowing river swept through the city as people slept.
Disaster in Mocoa
A man looks at a destroyed area after heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads in Mocoa, Colombia April 1, 2017.
Disaster in Mocoa
People wait to recognize the bodies of their relatives in the cemetery after flooding and mudslides, caused by heavy rains leading several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads, in Mocoa, Colombia April 2, 2017.
Disaster in Mocoa
A man walks among the ruins after flooding and mudslides caused by heavy rains leading several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads in Mocoa, Colombia April 2, 2017.
Disaster in Mocoa
A family sitting outside their house destroyed after heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads in Mocoa, Colombia April 1, 2017.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.