Omayra Sánchez: The Courageous 13-Year-Old Face of the 1985 Nevado del Ruiz Tragedy


Her death was mourned by people around the world, and she was remembered as a symbol of hope and strength in the face of tragedy.

Credit: Shounvolution/YouTube

Omayra Sánchez was a 13-year-old girl from the Colombian town of Armero who became the face of the tragic 1985 eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano.

The eruption, which occurred on November 13, 1985, sent a massive landslide of mud, rock, and debris cascading down the slopes of the volcano, burying the town of Armero and killing more than 23,000 people.

Sánchez was one of the few survivors of the disaster, but she was trapped in the rubble of her home for three days with her leg pinned beneath a concrete beam.

Despite her excruciating pain and the intense heat from the volcanic debris, Sánchez remained alert and conscious, communicating with rescue workers and media who had arrived on the scene to document the disaster.

Sánchez's resilience and strength in the face of such unimaginable hardship captured the attention of the world, and her story became a symbol of the human cost of natural disasters.

She received widespread media coverage and was even visited by Colombian President Belisario Betancur, who personally thanked her for her bravery.


Tragically, Sánchez died on November 16, 1985, just three days after the eruption, due to complications from her injuries.

Her death was mourned by people around the world, and she was remembered as a symbol of hope and strength in the face of tragedy.

Today, the town of Armero has been rebuilt and is a thriving community once again, thanks in part to the bravery and determination of people like Omayra Sánchez.

She will always be remembered as a hero and an inspiration to all those who knew her.

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