As the hours pass, the number of victims left by the serious accident caused by a tractor-trailer transporting milk that rammed several vehicles at the Casablanca toll booth, on Colombia’s Zipaquira-Ubate road (Cundinamarca), continues to rise. The incident marks a tragic beginning of Holy Week, when millions of Colombians travel to different parts of the country.
The crash occurred in the early morning of this Wednesday, April 1, and at first, only about 19 injured people were reported, who had been taken to hospitals in the municipalities of Ubate, Zipaquira, and Cajica. But after midday, the governor of the department, Jorge Emilio Rey, gave a discouraging report.
Governor gives report on the accident
“A further deceased person has been found inside the same vehicle where three had previously been identified, along with the companion animal. This means that there are now five fatalities: four inside the same motor vehicle and one motorcyclist,” the regional leader announced in a message on the social network X. Among the dead is a minor.
After the tragic toll, Rey expressed his sorrow over the incident. “Our most sincere condolences and solidarity with their families, friends, and loved ones in this difficult moment,” he said through the same medium.
“Currently, 21 patients are being treated. Of them, 19 are adults, and two are minors. One of them is in critical condition and was transferred from the Regional Hospital of Zipaquira to the Hospital Universitario de La Samaritana in Bogota. Likewise, one of the minors is in the process of being transferred to the Regional Hospital due to knee trauma.”
Unfortunately, the governor also warned that the death toll may change as the hours pass, taking into account that the authorities’ work at the scene is ongoing.
“The injured have been treated at the following institutions: Regional Hospital of Zipaquira (13), Functional Hospital of Zipaquira (2), San Luis Clinic of Cajica (3), Jorge Cavelier Clinic of Cajica (1), and El Salvador Hospital of Ubate (2). Rescue and extraction work continues in the area, so the number of victims could vary in the coming hours. From the Government of Cundinamarca, we continue accompanying those affected and coordinating the institutional response,” he added.
The road remains closed
In his initial explanations, Rey had said that the vehicle that caused the tragedy may have lost its brakes. “Preliminary information indicates that a vehicle transporting milk may have reached the toll booth without brakes, colliding with six private vehicles and a motorcycle. These vehicles will remain on the road while the recovery work of the deceased is carried out,” he had explained.
As a consequence of the accident, and while authorities carry out investigations and finish recovering bodies, the Zipaquira-Ubate road remains completely closed.
“We are in permanent coordination with emergency agencies, which are already present in the area, attending to the injured and carrying out the corresponding actions. The road is closed. It is recommended to take alternate routes and to stay attentive to official communications. We continue to monitor the evolution of the situation in order to provide updated information to citizens. To the families of the deceased, our embrace of solidarity,” Rey added in his message on X.