Landslide on Road from Armenia to Pijao

The earthquake triggered many landslides blocking roads and isolating small towns. This picture shows the remains of a landslide on the road from Armenia to Pijao after it was cleared.

It was very important to clear the roads quickly to get emergency help to Pijao. Pijao is a mountain village and was cut off for over a week because the only two roads to it were blocked by landslides.

The area affected by the earthquake is in Colombia's coffee growing region, which contributes greatly to the country's economy. The majority of the coffee is exported to other countries including Britain. Many other roads in the region had to be cleared quickly too, so that coffee crops could be transported to the markets in Armenia.