Cooler but still well above normal this week

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Two days after landslides and floods tore through the town of Mocoa, Colombia, and killed more than 200 people, rescuers were desperately searching for survivors in the mud and rubble.


The "sudden avalanche of mud and water" struck on Friday night, as people were sleeping, as NPR reported 

The death toll includes at least 43 children, John Otis reports for NPR.

"Hundreds are still missing after rivers overflowed Friday night, sending water, mud and boulders crashing through Mocoa," Otis says. "About half of the town's neighborhoods were damaged or completely wiped out."

Family members and rescue teams were frantically looking for survivors, as the clock is ticking to save anyone who survived the initial catastrophe. The death toll is expected to rise as search efforts continue.

 that more than 1,000 police officers and soldiers were involved in rescue efforts, and the Colombian Red Cross was working to help connect family members.


Rescuers were moving debris and mud by hand, The Associated Press reports, as people traveled from out of town to search for missing loved ones:

 as "desolation, impotence and one last hope. ... On every corner there was someone mourning the death of a relative or a friend, or the sudden loss of the product of an entire lifetime's work."


World leaders, including Pope Francis, have offered their condolences and support, Otis reports from Bogota.

"During a visit to Mocoa, President [Juan Manuel] Santos said workers are starting to rebuild bridges, restore electricity and provide emergency housing," Otis says.


Critics of Santos have said the government should have done more to protect the region from this kind of disaster, 

A U.N. official pointed to climate change as an underlying cause of the flooding and landslides, while a conservationist cited deforestation.

Disasters

At least 43 children are among the dead after floods and landslides tore through the town of Mocoa. President Juan Manuel Santos is promising to rebuild.

Rescuers search for survivors after mudslides in Colombia kill at least 200

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