Omayra Sánchez was a 13-year-old girl who became a symbol of the suffering and resilience of the people of Colombia during the Nevado del Ruiz volcanic disaster.

On November 13, 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, located in the Andes Mountains of Colombia, erupted and caused a massive landslide that buried the town of Armero and surrounding areas. Omayra was trapped in the rubble of her home for three days, and rescue efforts were hindered by the extreme conditions and lack of resources. Omayra eventually died, likely because of hypothermia and dehydration, and her story received widespread media attention.

French photographer Frank Fournier took this photograph of Sánchez in her final hours. In an interview he recalled, “I reached the town of Armero at dawn about three days after the explosion. I met a farmer who told me of this young girl who needed help. He took me to her, she was almost on her own at the time, just a few people around and some rescuers helping someone else a bit further away. I could hear people screaming for help and then silence – an eerie silence. It was very haunting. There were a few helicopters, some that had been loaned by an oil company, trying to rescue people. Then there was this little girl and people were powerless to help her. The rescuers kept coming back to her, local farmers and some people who had some medical aid. They tried to comfort her. When I took the pictures I felt totally powerless in front of this little girl, who was facing death with courage and dignity. She could sense that her life was going. By this stage, Omayra was drifting in and out of consciousness. She even asked me if I could take her to school because she was worried that she would be late. I gave my film to some photographers who were going back to the airport and had them shipped back to my agent in Paris. Omayra died about three hours after I got there.”

The picture was published six months after her death, and won the World Press Photo of the Year for 1985.