The search for survivors in the mud-covered town of Armero was reported to have been suspended today despite reports that many people were still trapped alive there. Government officials issued conflicting statements on whether the search would be resumed.
Rafael de Zubiria, the Minister of Health, announced over nationwide radio this afternoon that Armero, which was inundated by mud four days ago when the Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupted, was being turned into a cemetery and that efforts to find trapped survivors were being abandoned.
In his announcement, the Minister of Health said ''the stench makes further work in the zone of Armero impossible.''
Read Full Article »