With every step, the mud sinks under the boots. The silence, broken only by the machines and the raindrops that continue to fall, weighs more than the tons of earth that block the passage at kilometer 24.5 of the highway to El Salvador. There is no traffic, no respite. Just wait and anguish.
Since the early hours of this Thursday, October 9, the rescue forces arrived with trained dogs. The canine units of the Volunteer Firefighters and the Departmental Municipal Firefighters were the first to tour the disaster area. For a few hours, amid the drizzle and uncertainty, they managed to mark two points that could be key: where perhaps the missing person is.
But shortly after noon, the rain returned. And with it, another avalanche. The search and location tasks were suspended for the safety of the person working at the site.
Tons of earth fell again, burying part of the rescue work and hitting two Army soldiers. The reaction was immediate: the companions managed to rescue them and took them to the Military Hospital. The day, however, was marked by this new onslaught of nature.
The Command Post installed in the place does not stop. Every day, a technical table evaluates the stability of the terrain. The rains have not stopped for four days, and with each new downpour, the risk multiplies.
“An evaluation is made every day. The situation is critical,” acknowledged Leandro Amado, spokesperson for the Command Post, during a conference at the site of the collapse.
The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (Conred) confirmed that the pass will remain closed. The area remains unstable and any attempt to clear it could be fatal. “The importance of the population following the instructions of the authorities is highlighted,” the entity warned in a statement, with a firm voice, but full of concern.
Hans Lemus, spokesperson for the Volunteer Firefighters, explained on local radio that the vehicle in which the missing person was believed to be sleeping has already been located. It was empty. “It is thought that he tried to get out of the car and get to safety,” he said. But no one has seen him since.
At the entrance to the collapse, neighbors who need to cross look at the horizon with resignation. The authorities have been clear: no vehicular or pedestrian crossing. On the other hand, some workers cannot return home, and others simply have not managed to leave.
Meanwhile, the rain does not let up. The mountain, neither.
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