Armero tragedy
The “Nevado del Ruíz” is a snowy volcano located in the central region of Colombia, and is part of the Andes mountain range. Armero was a little town of about 29000 inhabitants located 48 kilometers from the volcano.
A: Volcano - B: Armero old town
Since 1984 the volcano had increased its activity with fumaroles, deposition of sulfur on the summit, and phreatic eruptions. The previously eruption was in 1845, 140 years before, and the nearby residents weren’t afraid of the volcano. In September 1985 the Colombian government published a hazard map in an attempt to warn the nearby population around the “Nevado del Ruiz” about the imminent danger. Finally, on November 13, 1985 the volcano erupted.
The event started at 3 P.M. with black ash columns. The geological department (Ingeominas) ordered the evacuation of the area, and an emergency committee of the civil defense and the Red Cross proceeded with the evacuation orders at 7 P.M. Apparently, that day was heavily raining in Armero, and an electrical failure prevented the local authorities to receive the emergency message. The population was unaware of the risk they were facing staying at home and the residents were informed the ash column was nothing to worry about. At 9:09 P.M the volcano exploded and threw 35 million metric tons of material including magma. The eruption was classified as moderate according the Volcanic explosivity index (3 out of 7).
The eruption produced pyroclastic flows that melted glaciers and snow, generating four thick lahars that raced down river valleys on the volcano's flanks. Just before 11:30 P.M., a huge stream of water swept through Armero. 75% of the population of Armero (~21000) died because of the lahars. Nearby towns were also affected, like Chinchiná, Caldas where 1800 died.
An aerial photo of Armero after the laharOmayra’s agony
Omayra Sánchez was a little 13 year old girl who lived in Armero when the “Nevado del Ruíz” erupted. When the lahar destroyed her house, her father and aunt died inside. She was able to survive the lahar, but when rescue teams tried to help her, they realized that her legs were trapped under her house's roof. Once the girl was freed from the waist up, her rescuers attempted to pull her out, but found the task impossible without breaking her legs in the process. Rescue workers placed a tire around her body to avoid her to drown. Divers discovered that Sánchez's legs were caught under a door made of bricks, with her aunt's body under her feet.
Lacking the surgical conditions to save her from the effects of an amputation, the doctors agreed that it would be more humane to let her die. She suffered for nearly three nights (roughly 60 hours) before she died at 10:05 A.M. on November 16 from exposure, most likely from gangrene or hypothermia.
Omayra became a symbol of the tragedy. Despite her imminent death, the girl remained positive all the time. The rescuers gave her sweet food and soda, and she agreed to be interviewed.
Frank Fournier, a French reporter, took a photograph of Sánchez in her final hours, titled "The Agony of Omayra Sánchez".
The picture was published six months after her death, and later won the World Press Photo of the Year for 1985. Omayra's face became worldwide known.
Today, she remains as the symbol of the Armero tragedy. Her tomb is visited by local and tourists to offer her a prayer and ask to never repeat this tragedy.
Tumba Omaira Sanchez Omayra's tumb.
The town of Armero was moved a few kilometers North and renamed as Armero Guayabal. The old Armero is abandoned and half-buried under the mud.
She could be saved
First, most deaths could be prevented if the authorities properly warned the populace about the risk of an eruption. If the Armero residents were evacuated on time, Omayra and 21000 more residents could have survived the volcano eruption and the lahars. The scientific equipment for monitoring the volcano wasn’t appropriate, the prevention personnel were not properly trained, and the government didn’t have an organized emergency and evacuation plan.
Secondly, the rescue teams working to save the survivors said that there was a lack of supplies as basic as shovels, cutting tools, and stretchers. In fact, the rescuers were searching for a pump for about 2 days to save Omayra, but according to the authorities the closest one was too far to arrive on time. After her death, many voices criticized the government for not putting out the necessary effort to save many of the lahar survivors. The authorities should have deployed an organized rescue operation, using the available planes and helicopters to mobilize specialized equipment such as pumps to save as many people as they could.
If Omayra’s rescuers got the pump they were asking for, they might have been able to pull all the water around her, and then to proceed with the amputation of her legs to release her.