![]() ![]() She said she was last in contact with her family at 4:20am (09:20 GMT) on Monday, just before the hurricane approached. The house she grew up in and where her parents still live is located on the shorefront. Saskia Cabeza Mejia, 30, a local of the island who now lives in Colombia’s second-largest city, Medellin, said all she knows is that “everything’s been destroyed” relying on the scant information Providencia’s mayor was able to communicate. Hurricane storm Iota’s storm surge flooded the neighbourhoods of Bocagrande, Castillogrande and El Laguito in Cartagena de Indias in Bolivar, Colombia ![]() Most of the island’s residents who live on Colombia’s mainland or elsewhere have been unable to make contact with family and friends as internet and telephone services have been down for more than 24 hours. The government said it has been unable to take immediate humanitarian action due to the isolated location of the island and the dangerous sea and air travel caused by hostile weather conditions. Geographically, it is closer to the central American country of Nicaragua. Providencia island has a population of 5,000 people and is part of the Archipelago of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Caralina located in the Caribbean Sea about 775km (481 miles) northwest of mainland Colombia. The damage to the island’s communication infrastructure means there is no detailed information or images of the destruction yet. “We are up against something that has characteristics never before been seen in our country,” President Duque said. On Monday evening, the government confirmed that 98 percent of Providencia’s infrastructure has been damaged. The president said he hopes to be able to travel to the island on Tuesday with the country’s armed forces when they assess the situation.Ī Colombian naval ship is also expected to arrive at the Caribbean island on Tuesday. ![]() The Marlinda sector and la Boquilla, in Cartagena, Colombia, is flooded in the wake of Hurricane Iota off the coast of Cartagena de Indias causes a tidal surge We have to prepare for a total destruction of infrastructure and, therefore, start a reconstruction plan,” he said, adding that a “transformation plan” will be put into action to repair damage on the island within 100 days. “When we talk about a category five hurricane we are talking about one like Katrina or Andrew, which was devastating in the United States. In a news conference Tuesday morning, President Duque said his administration has had communication difficulties with the island due to its damaged communications infrastructure. President Duque managed to speak to the mayor of the predominantly Afro-Colombian island on Monday evening via satellite phone, who confirmed one person had died so far and efforts were being made to clear the island’s one aeroplane runway to allow humanitarian aid to arrive. Keep reading list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Death toll rises to 40 in India’s Sikkim flooding after lake overflow list 2 of 4 Typhoon Koinu lashes southern Taiwan, kills one person list 3 of 4 Death toll rises to 14 in India’s Sikkim flooding, dozens still missing list 4 of 4 India receives lowest rains in 5 years, agricultural production to be hit end of list
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |