Rescuers in Colombia are searching for survivors of floods and mudslides, which hit the nation over the weekend.
As of Monday, April 3, 254 bodies had been recovered from the dirt and debris, while relatives face the grim task of picking through the corpses looking for family members.
Several rivers near the southwestern city of Mocoa burst their banks early Saturday morning, sending floodwaters sweeping through the sleeping streets.
Hundreds were injured as entire neighborhoods were wiped out.
In response to the tragedy Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos has tried look to the future. “It is possible to recuperate. It is possible to overcome the tragedy. Hope is possible,” he said.
In Colombia’s capital, Bogotà, soldiers have been collecting donated supplies.
Some 500 people have been provided with emergency housing.
The government has promised to pay medical expenses for victims plus $6,400 to families that lost loved ones.
