Extreme Landslide of Mud and Water in Venezuela Streets Kills Three

Three people lost their lives in an extreme landslide that covered the streets of Venezuela with mud and water.

Just one week after a sizable landslide wreaked havoc on the nearby community of Las Tejeras, videos posted on social media show a river of mud and water rampaging through the streets of El Castao in Aragua state, Venezuela.

No less than three people were killed in the landslide, the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, said on state television.

Maduro claimed to have learned that the landslide-related damages in El Castao, Maracay, are severe after he traveled to Las Tejeras, the site of a mudslide a week earlier that claimed dozens of lives.

On social media, footage of an extreme landslide in Venezuela has been widely disseminated.

Heavy rain caused the landslide, which damaged more than 50 homes.

Primarily, Maduro was informed that three people have already died as a result of the mudslide that originated in the mountains. The president of Venezuela stated that the country's government would keep helping its citizens.

Refugees and the Aftermath

An AFP team monitored the aftermath as emergency personnel worked the whole night to clear the road of mud and rocks. Since there was no electricity in the area, the workers' work sites were illuminated by the headlights of passing vehicles.

The 56-year-old Jose Dos Santos claimed to have taken refuge in the upper level of his home with his family.

He described how the rain was pouring heavily as he was looking toward the mountain. He grabbed his family and they climbed up after hearing a roar and seeing water coming in from the windows.

Nelida Rodriguez, a neighbor, and fellow resident described the landslide as terrible.

Rodriguez claimed to have lived in the area for seven decades and had never witnessed a landslide of this magnitude.

Read also: Climate Change is Changing Landslides in a "Surprising Way," Says NASA 

The announcement was made by Maduro during a speech in Las Tejerias, located 65 kilometers to the east of El Castano, where, according to the most recent death toll provided by the president, a landslide last week left 54 people dead.

Maduro claimed that there are currently several missing people. He was informed that eight of the reported cases are 100% confirmed and that search and rescue efforts are ongoing.

According to reports, Venezuela's recent extreme landslide was the country's worst natural disaster in 20 years.

Last week, the president predicted that there could be 100 victims.

Later, Maduro visited El Castano, where he claimed that climate change is to blame for all of the destruction and catastrophe.

He continued by saying that the entire nation had a very difficult time with the rain this year.

Maduro claimed that in his nearly ten years in office, 2022 has been the year with the worst natural disasters, Phys Org reported.

Landslides

Landslides can happen anywhere in the world and are more common compared to any other geological occurrence.

They happen when substantial amounts of soil, rocks, or debris slide down a slope as a result of an occurrence in nature or even by human activity.

Debris flows or mudslides are other typical examples of swiftly moving landslides.

Related articles: Venezuela Suffers from Catastrophic Landslide, Death Toll Could Climb