A tragedy that occurred in November 1985 left humanity forever scarred. The Colombian village of Armero was buried by a destructive mudflow caused by the Nevado del Ruiz volcano’s eruption, which also destroyed almost everything in its path.
One of the most devastating natural disasters in history claimed the lives of almost 25,000 people. Amidst the devastation, one eerie picture came to represent the unspeakable agony: a tiny child named Omayra Sánchez, stranded in the volcanic mudflow, her frail face marked with bravery and hopelessness.
The world was shocked by the shot, which was taken by photojournalist Frank Fournier just hours before she passed away. It is still regarded as one of the most potent depictions of human frailty and was awarded the coveted World Press Photo of the Year award in 1986. However, a question remains behind the lens: Why didn’t the photographer save her?
Note: Some readers may find the content in this article upsetting.
Inside the tragedy at Armero
We must first review the terrible Armero incident in order to fully comprehend the sorrowful image of Omayra Sánchez.
After 69 years of dormancy, the Nevado del Ruiz stratovolcano erupted on November 13, 1985, taking neighboring towns by surprise.
Nevado del Ruiz has previously erupted twice, in 1595 and 1845. Avalanches surged down the Lagunilla River on both instances, right where the town of Armero would eventually be constructed.
Experts had identified heightened volcanic activity months prior to the 1985 eruption and alerted Colombian authorities to the impending threat. Even though there were obvious warning indications of an approaching calamity, researchers, climbers, and government figures mostly ignored their warnings.
Dead fish were discovered in neighboring basins, according to farmers. Large quantities of sulfur were also found, and nearby tiny explosions even started a forest fire.
However, there was no evacuation in spite of these warnings.
The population was reduced by 94%.
The glaciers atop Nevado del Ruiz quickly melted as the volcano’s crater released destructive pyroclastic flows, sending four enormous lahars—fast-moving mudflows, landslides, and debris—hurling down its slopes at terrifying rates of 50 km/h (30 mph). As they surged through gullies, the lahars gathered speed and eventually engulfed the village of Armero in their lethal course.
The eruption killed almost 23,000 people, or almost 94% of Armero’s population, according to Colombian authorities. The region was devastated and its environment was drastically changed by the eruption’s smoke and ash, which rose up to 15 kilometers in the air. There were 5,092 dwellings demolished, 4,718 of which were in Armero alone, destroying entire neighborhoods.
An estimated 35 to 50 billion Colombian pesos, or roughly $7.5 million to $10.5 million USD, in material damages resulted from the accident, which affected 230,000 people.
Omayra Sánchez Garzón’s Story
Omayra Sánchez Garzón, 13, was one of the numerous fatalities whose tragic circumstances captured the attention of the entire world.
Omayra Sánchez was born on August 28, 1972, in Armero. She was raised there by her parents, María Aleida, a nurse, and Álvaro Enrique, a rice and sorghum collector. She lived with her aunt, María Adela Garzón, and brother, Álvaro Enrique.
Omayra and her family were up on the night of the Armero disaster, worried about the ash coming from the Nevado del Ruiz volcano’s eruption.
They were watching with apprehension when the loud sound of an approaching lahar suddenly reached them. Omayra found herself imprisoned beneath the debris of her home, pinned down by concrete and debris, unable to escape as the enormous eruption submerged the Andean valley of Armero under a sea of mud.
A courageous spirit in the face of hopelessness
Her legs were buried beneath the debris when rescuers came, and her aunt’s dead arms were still firmly holding her. Any attempt to move her ran the risk of hurting her more, thus attempts to free her appeared futile. As rising water around her, rescuers had to wrap a tire around her to keep her afloat because her legs were so firmly gripped. Despite their best efforts, the rescuers quickly realized how serious the situation was.
Omayra had to have both of her legs amputated at the knees in order to be freed, the doctors concluded. However, the tools required to carry out the required surgery were unavailable.
Omayra was stuck in the water for more than sixty hours, her body gradually deteriorating due to the weather. She never lost her composure, though. In her conversation with a volunteer journalist, she requested sweets, sang, and even consented to an interview. But fear began to creep in as the hours passed.
Talking about school and a math test she believed she had missed, she started having hallucinations. As the water rose further, her face turned red and her hands grew larger. But she held on to life.
She was a brave young woman.
“I no longer feel my body,” she remarked.
The iconic image
Omayra’s tale might have turned out differently. If the authorities had followed through on the early warnings, perhaps Omayra’s death would have been averted. But as the hours went by, there was no way to save her.
The medics on the scene were forced to make the painful choice to let her pass away quietly rather than put her through more agony since they lacked the surgical tools necessary to amputate her legs and relieve the pressure.
A French journalist named Frank Fournier showed up at this last moment, when Omayra’s life was coming to an end. Days after the explosion, he had flown into Bogotá, and on his trip to Armero, he was overcome by the eerie calm and destruction.
Hundreds of people were stuck everywhere. It was hard for rescuers to get to them. Twenty years after the terrible tragedy, he told the BBC, “I could hear people screaming for help and then silence – an eerie silence.” “It was really eerie.”
He followed a farmer to Omayra, whose body was already starting to bulge. Moved by her calm bravery and the suffering she went through, Fournier took a picture, a moment that would later come to represent the situation’s hopelessness and the failure of those in positions of authority.
Later, Fournier said, “She was facing death with courage and dignity,” reflecting on the image’s powerful impact.
Omayra Sánchez’s final remarks
Omayra Sánchez closed her eyes for the final time at 9:45 a.m. on November 16. She had been comforted by a rescuer just two hours prior, who said, “Calm down, darling, we’ll have you out in a minute.” You will live for a very long time. Her hair was knotted with coffee beans, and the water had already reached to her neck.
The girl’s final words, “Mommy, I love you so much, daddy I love you, brother I love you,” were captured on camera by witnesses.
Omayra’s father and aunt perished in the lahars, but her brother lived. María Aleida, her mother, who had traveled to Bogotá for work prior to the eruption, also lived.
In reference to survivors like herself and her 12-year-old son, who lost a finger in the tragedy, Aleida remarked, “It is terrible, but we have to think about the living.”
What prevented the photographer from assisting her?
The Agony of Omayra Sánchez, a photograph taken by Frank Fournier of the situation, would go on to become a famous image that brought the tragedy to the attention of people all over the world.
The picture sparked a flurry of discussion as it traveled the world. The image’s unadulterated closeness disturbed many, including the BBC, who felt as if they had seen a young girl’s final moments.
Critics called Fournier a monster for capturing such a private photo and accused him of taking advantage of Omayra’s distress. However, Fournier defended his choice, claiming that the image had exposed the nation’s leadership’s carelessness and helped raise vital funding for the victims.
The image won the coveted World Press Photo of the Year award in 1986 in spite of the controversy. It brought the horrors of the Armero accident to the attention of the globe.
Some people questioned why Frank hadn’t tried to save Omayra from the lahar as the image traveled around the globe. The scenario was so bad that rescue was just not conceivable, he told the BBC. Fournier thought, “There was a huge outcry — television debates on whether photojournalists are vultures.”
However, I felt that the tale had to be told, and the response really made me feel better. If nobody had given a damn, it would have been worse.
Reminiscent in many aspects
There is no denying the gravity of the picture that captured Omayra Sánchez’s last moments. A family friend named Manuel Martín Benitos promised to pay tribute to the young girl’s untimely death by transforming it into a symbol of victory.
He founded the International Foundation Omayra Sánchez in 1986 with the goal of establishing a worldwide network of teams devoted to averting catastrophes and aiding those affected by them.
Sánchez has been remembered in a variety of ways over the years since the eruption, especially by media outlets like El Tiempo. Sánchez’s narrative has struck a deep chord, prompting poetry, novels, and music that continue to honor her legacy even though many of the disaster’s victims were honored.
Today, Armero
The Colombian government established the Oficina Nacional para la Atención de Desastres (National Office for Disaster Preparedness), which is currently the Dirección de Prevención y Atención de Desastres (Directorate for Disaster Prevention and Preparedness), in an attempt to avert future disasters. All Colombian cities were directed to create strategies for disaster preparedness as part of these initiatives.
To ensure that Sánchez’s legacy lives on in both natural and human history, a species of cricket discovered in the area of the Armero tragedy was named Gigagryllus omayrae in her honor.
The settlement of Armero has vanished, but the volcano Nevado del Ruiz is still active. Christian crosses and a tiny plaque honoring Sánchez’s memory commemorate the location as a memorial today.
“Her face, her words, and her courage, which were broadcast on television around the globe and featured in the biggest American and European newspapers and magazines as a heartbreaking image, remained a testimony of accusation against those who could have at least lessened the severity of the tragedy.”
Germán Santa María Barragán in El Tiempo, November 23, 1985
As a reminder of the innocence lost in an unfathomable tragedy, Omayra’s name has endured in the hearts of all who witnessed her agony.
Additionally, her narrative is a sad memory that should never be forgotten for those who watched her last hours.
