Bolivia landslides: Neighbourhoods destroyed in La Paz

 Mass wasting

any type of earth materials under direct influence of gravity it does not require a transporting medium such as water, wind or glacial ice although it does have triggers (Video Garcia 0:44 seconds) 

Many landslides (soil, slips, debris flows) develop during rainstorms when slopes become saturated slumps develop months or years folding the deep infiltration of water into a slope water erosion of the base or toe of a slope decreases stability (Garcia video 17:19)

Dozens of houses have been destroyed in a landslide in the Bolivian capital of La Paz, affecting hundreds of people. Footage shows entire brick homes caving into clouds of dust and falling down hills as locals flee with pet and children. Emergency services began to evacuate before the worst of the collapse.

  

The landslides followed heavy rains on Tuesday the location of the San Jorge neighborhood on a former landfill contributed to instability. Sitting at an altitude of nearly 12,00 feet (3,600 meters), La Paz is the highest capital in the world. Known as the "mountain city" many of its neighborhoods are on steep slopes and dizzying peaks. Landslides are not uncommon in Bolivia especially in poor areas which are often built on unstable grounds.

Mitigation factors

1. Improving drainage

2. Reducing the angle of the slope

3. Evacuation orders

4. Providing hygiene, food, shelter and diapers to locals affected

5.Building a protective berm or wall to buttress the bottom of the slope.

Local governments provided bottled water to families living in areas affected by mud, which also caused the local sewer system to collapse for four or five days, considering that water sources had been polluted by floods and were deemed unfit for human consumption.

References

reliefweb.int

thinkhazard.org

CNN.com