The eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in 1985, led to the catastrophe of Armero, is the fourth most deadly volcanic eruption. This volcano erupted in Colombia, 11 September 1985 to July 13, 1991 and was causing a lahar partially engulfing the town of Armero on the night of 13 to 14 November 1985 23:30 , killing 25 000 people caught in their sleep. The rescue of survivors by broadcast television around the world remained famous for one of Omayra Sanchez, a girl who succumbed to his injuries before the cameras. After several months of rest, volcanic activity resumed on September 11, 1985 Nevado del Ruiz. Accompanied by emitting a plume of steam, explosions projected blocks to a distance of two kilometers from the summit crater and a rain of ashes descends to thirty kilometers from the volcano. However, these phenomena do not worry unduly some scientists who do not judge the people of Armero in danger, the city is located forty kilometers from the volcano. A risk map will be released in early November but still at low level.
Training and progression of lahar
November 13 1985 to 15 hours, the activity of the Nevado del Ruiz increases sharply when the first explosion occurred on the volcano. The director of civil protection department will attempt to raise responsible, but without much success. An initial evacuation message is transmitted by radio in the evening but many people are now in front of their television to watch a game of football.
From 9:08 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., an explosion causes more rapid melting of 6-18% of the ice sheet covering the top of the volcano in heat from the lava. This melt water rushes down the slopes and quickly formed lahars, taking with it large amounts of soil, volcanic ash deposited over the past three weeks and plant debris. Ignoring the formation of the lahar and despite the fall volcanic ash on the city, people are reassured by the words of a priest and a teacher based on false information from Bogotá. The mayor remains concerned, attempts to join the safety committee and ordered 23 hours to evacuate homes along the river after receiving a call confirming the danger of the eruption.
Borrowing river valleys and Azufrado Lagunilla, the lahars form but more than at the outlet of the valleys where Armero. High five to eight meters and progressing to 80 km / h, the lahar spread throughout the city at 23:30, sweeping everything in its path in the form of two waves. The river flow is then estimated at 47,500 m3 ⋅ s. About 4500 houses, only 80 will be spared. The people, surprised in their sleep, are swept away and drowned or crushed by debris carried by the lahar. Of the 27,000 inhabitants of the city, between 21 000 and 25 000 are killed. For comparison, only three other known eruptions have been more murderous: that of Tambora in 1815 with 92 000 deaths, that of Krakatoa in 1883 with 36 000 victims and one of Mount Pelee in 1902 with 28 000 victims. Besides the dead, 4,500 people were injured, 8,000 left homeless and 15,000 livestock were killed. This disaster will cost one billion U.S. dollars or one-fifth of gross domestic product of Colombia. Continuation and end of the eruption
After the crisis eruption of 13 November 1985 the activity of the Nevado del Ruiz is essentially constituted by the issuance of a volcanic plume consists primarily of water vapor and sulfur dioxide gas interspersed with episodes of explosives that eject volcanic ash. The eruption ends July 13, 1991, nearly six years of activity.
Omayra Sánchez
The discovery of damage and rescue of survivors begins the next day. The most famous victim of this disaster is Omayra Sánchez. The girl found herself stuck, legs blocked by a tangle of beams and bricks, only the head emerging from a torrent of mud. His agony lasted nearly two days and was filmed by a cameraman for English television TVE then on hand to produce images of the drama and broadcast a few hours later on television channels worldwide. The photographer Frank Fournier takes pictures of the drama. It will reward those shots of World Press Photo prize in 1986.
This tragic story had created a malaise in the media, raised many questions about their role and on the border between information and voyeurism. The focus on the death of the girl had also hidden part of the magnitude of the disaster that killed more than 27,000 dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. Eight thousand other children perished in the disaster.
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