On the morning of Monday, December 11, 2023, a serious accident occurred at Hotel Pradomar in Puerto Colombia. A tractor-trailer traveling near Hotel Pradomar lost control, and the driver collided with a parked van in the area.
The truck crashed into the kitchen wall of the hotel and was completely destroyed. According to El Heraldo, the driver of the tractor-trailer is one of the fatalities. The incident resulted in two fatalities and injuries to four more people.
The authorities identified the deceased person as 32-year-old José Tomás Villegas Zequera. The name of the other fatality from this accident is still unknown. Hotel employee Carlos Humberto Alvarez Haack, along with Gustavo Elías Borge Lázaro and Luis David Castro Sarmiento, sustained injuries and are currently receiving medical attention. They were transported to a nearby medical center.
One witness to the traffic incident told the same outlet that as he approached the scene, the tractor-trailer “was honking, kept going straight on, and we ran.” Fredy Núñez also stated that those in the area tried to help the affected individuals, but the magnitude of the accident prevented them from entering the hotel, where the truck occupants remained trapped.
Apparently, the truck involved in the accident was carrying materials for the construction of the new Puerto Colombia Lighthouse (faro), as well as for various projects on the municipality’s beaches. The same outlet reported that there might be two more people under the rubble, which is why rescue efforts are still ongoing.
The hotel is closed until further notice.
Traffic Accidents
Atlántico is one of the departments with the highest number of fatalities in traffic accidents in 2023.
According to figures from the Road Safety Observatory, a branch of the National Road Safety Agency, Atlántico recorded 212 fatalities from January to September 2023. These statistics represent an increase of two deaths compared to 2022.