Dramatic moment landslide at iconic 656ft Colombian landmark El Peñón sends avalanche of rocks crashing down over passing tourists – leaving 17 people injured, including two minors
- Seventeen people, including two children, were injured in a major landslide near El Peñón de Guatapé on Thursday in Guatapé, Colombia
- The iconic monument is said to be 65 million years old, 200 meters high and consists of granite, feldspar and quartz
- At least 1,000 people visit El Peñón de Guatapé on weekdays, while 3,500 people flock to the iconic rock on weekends
This is the terrifying moment a massive landslide sent pedestrians running to safety near an iconic monument in Colombia, injuring 17 people, including two minors.
Dramatic surveillance footage showed tourists walking near El Peñón de Guatapé (the Rock of Guatapé) on Thursday afternoon when an avalanche of rocks suddenly crashed to the ground.
Six people had been seen walking by when stones began to rain down the path.
A woman started running and stopped in front of a guardrail as powdery debris fell over the area. She stayed there for about five seconds before fleeing.
A visitor (right) looks at the top of the Colombian monument El Peñón, moments before an avalanche of rocks rained down on pedestrians along the hiking trail on Wednesday. At least 17 people, including two children, were injured
The National Police said El Peñón de Guatapé will remain closed while an investigation is completed to determine if the location is safe.
The El Peñón de Guatapé, said to be 65 million years old, receives an average of 1,000 visitors on weekdays and 3,500 on weekends
The area was immediately cordoned off as several small landslides followed during the day and remained closed as of Friday.
The National Police said an inspection of the monument was planned to determine whether it would pose risks to visitors.
Antioquia Governor Aníbal Gaviria said five people were rushed to a hospital in Guatapé and four others were treated at a care center in El Peñón.
The El Peñón de Guatapé, believed to be 65 million years old, is located in the town of Guatapé in Antioquia, 124 kilometers from Medellín.
The 200-meter-high monument is an outcrop of the Antioquia Batholith, which consists of granite, feldspar and quartz and was once worshiped by the indigenous people of Tahamí.
Tourists visiting the giant rock El Peñón de Guatapé run for safety moments before a rock falls on Thursday
A woman runs away from El Peñón de Guatapé moments after a landslide at the iconic monument in Guatapé, Colombia, which injured 17 people, including two minors
The site is visited by at least 1,000 people every day and up to 3,400 visitors at weekends – many of whom climb 708 steps to the top of the rock.
At the entrance to the rock is a statue of Luis Villegas, the first person to reach the top of El Peñón in five days in 1954.
Ultimately, he bought the stone from farmers who found the area around it unsuitable for growing crops.
Villegas built the stairs and charged people interested in climbing it.