Maid of honor, 22, and ring bearer, 13, are killed as roof collapse leaves 30 wedding guests injured
A bridesmaid and a ring bearer were killed and at least 30 people were injured after the roof of a country house collapsed in Cesar province, northern Colombia.
More than 80 guests gathered to celebrate the wedding of Ebed Calderón and Camilo Andrade when the ceiling collapsed at Casa Hotel Riasco in the municipality of Valledupar on Saturday evening around 8:30 p.m.
Authorities say the collapsed roof was caused by a blockage in drains, which prevented the heavy rain that fell in the Valledupar municipality on Saturday night from flowing.
“The drain pipes were apparently covered in dry leaves and debris. When it rained, the water had nowhere to go and the concrete structure collapsed,” said Petra Romero, director of Cesar’s Risk Management Office.”
The victims were identified as Naileth Guerra, 22, and Sharay Maldonado, 13.
The injured guests were rushed to three area clinics and one hospital.
Naileth Guerra, the bridesmaid, was killed Saturday evening after the roof of a mansion collapsed during a wedding party at Casa Hotel Riasco in Cesar, Colombia. Authorities say the tragedy may have been caused by heavy rains in the Valledupar municipality
Sharay Maldonado, the ring bearer, took refuge under a table when the roof collapsed on her
A wedding guest tries to help a person crawling under the rubble after the roof of a wedding venue in Colombia collapsed on Saturday evening. Two people were killed
First responders carry out one of 30 guests injured in the roof collapse
At least three people are in critical condition, including Guerra’s mother, local media reported.
Footage on social media showed an adult trying to help a young girl trapped under the rubble.
One of the wedding guests told El Tiempo newspaper that Guerra and Maldonado took shelter under tables after a lightning strike briefly knocked out the electricity.
‘In the middle of the downpour it felt like an explosion of thunder. At that moment the lights went out. It returned immediately,” the witness said.
“A few minutes later one of the structures there collapsed. People fled. Naileth and the girl tried to take refuge under the tables, but they were crushed.”
Deivis Hernández told Noticias RCN that he heard a loud noise just before the roof collapsed.
‘We heard a sound like the branch of a gigantic tree breaking. That was more or less the sound,” he said. ‘We were all alarmed and suddenly, within seconds, everything started to collapse. We were left in the dark and started looking for the exit.’
Ebed Calderón and Camilo Andrade’s wedding party was marred by tragedy on Saturday evening after the bridesmaid and ring girl were killed after the roof of the mansion they were renting collapsed during a rainstorm
Authorities are investigating the roof collapse of a mansion at Casa Hotel Riasco that killed two people and injured at least 30
Ebed Calderón shared a photo of her surrounded by her bridesmaids, including Naileth Guerra, the bridesmaid, who was murdered
Authorities in Cesar province in northern Colombia suspect the mansion’s roof collapsed because drain pipes were clogged with leaves and debris.
Just hours before the wedding, Calderón shared a video on social media, surrounded by her five bridesmaids.
Calderón mourned Guerra’s death in a heartbreaking post on her Instagram account on Sunday.
“My beautiful friend, my queen, my sweetheart, the one with the noblest heart, I can’t believe all this. My God, I begged you so much,” she wrote.
‘My soul aches. We had so many dreams. It hurts me a lot,” she added. “I just ask God to bring immense comfort to all of us who love you with our hearts. “My God, I don’t understand, Father, why, my God, help us.”