The eruption occurred two months after the 1985 Mexico City earthquake , limiting the amount of supplies that could be sent to each of the disasters . Efforts were organized in Ibagué and Bogotá for Armero and in Cali for Chinchina , where medical teams gathered . Makeshift triage stations were established in Lerida , Guayabal , and Mariquita , and soon were overwhelmed with the sheer number of victims . The remaining victims were directed to Ibagué 's hospitals , as local institutions had already been destroyed or were at risk from further lahars
1985 Mexico City earthquake
1985 Mexico City earthquake
Armero tragedy