The images of a little girl, with reddish skin and curly hair, submerged almost up to her neck in a well where she was trapped and where she agonized before the helpless eyes of everyone watching until her dramatic death, are still fresh in our minds. It was Omaira Sánchez, who had not yet turned 13. Numerous people tried for hours to pull her from the water, but it was impossible. Some reporters, including the cameramen ofWeekly reportThey spoke with her and stayed with her until the very end. Her face was etched with pain amidst the mud that engulfed the town of Armero, on the slopes of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia.
40 years since the televised images of the death of teenager Omaira, buried by a volcano
A team from 'Informe semanal' followed the case and filmed it until practically its dramatic end
BarcelonaForty years ago, on the night of November 13, 1985, Colombia experienced one of its greatest tragedies: the eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano. After nearly seven decades of dormancy, the volcano awoke, and despite warnings from scientists, the country was unprepared for the catastrophe. A mudslide of mud and rocks—descending from 5,000 meters above sea level—buried the city of Armero, in the department of Tolima, wiping it off the map and causing the deaths of more than 23,000 people. That night, the face of Omaira Sánchez, a 13-year-old girl trapped in the mud, became a global symbol of pain and helplessness in the face of nature. Omaira ultimately died, surrounded by emergency services, who were powerless to save her life. Her farewell words, full of love and hope, became a poignant reminder of the devastation.Weekly report, from TVE, impacted an entire generation that the memory of their intense gaze continues to challenge.
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Omaira Sánchez
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Fragility in the face of nature
A panoramic view of the area affected by the eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, which marked a turning point in volcanic risk management worldwide. On that occasion, warnings had been ignored or poorly communicated, and the lack of coordination among authorities amplified the consequences of the disaster. From then on, specialized agencies were created, such as the Colombian Geological Survey and the National System for Disaster Prevention. Nevado del Ruiz remains active and is under constant monitoring.
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Today, forty years after the Nevado del Ruiz tragedy, the tomb of Omaira Sánchez, located in the cemetery of the former municipality of Armero (Tolima, Colombia), has become a site of pilgrimage and collective memory. According to media reports, thousands of visitors arrive each year to leave flowers, candles, and notes of gratitude or in search of "miracles," granting Omaira an almost symbolic role as a patron saint of both sorrow and hope.
The tomb of Omaira Sánchez, located in the cemetery of the former municipality of Armero, in Tolima, Colombia, has become a site of pilgrimage and collective memory. Every year, thousands of visitors come to leave flowers, candles, and notes of gratitude, granting Omaira a symbolic role as a patron saint of both sorrow and hope.