Colombia / Armero

Armero: Memorial site of the 1985 tragedy

The Nevado del Ruiz volcano (5,321m) is Colombia's second most active. While the fertile soil around it has long been a blessing for agriculture, its eruptions have repeatedly claimed lives. The eruption on the evening of November 13, 1985, had devastating consequences: an avalanche of ice, rock and mud swept down the mountain and over the town of Armero. An estimated 23,000 people died, either immediately or in the days that followed. The thick mud made rescue efforts extremely difficult, often impossible. Especially tragic was the fate of a young girl, Omayra Sánchez, who remained trapped in the mud for three days and could not be saved — she is remembered today, standing in for all the victims, with flowers, candles and prayers.