Omayra Sánchez

Frank Fournier's photograph, Armero, Colombia, November 16, 1985 When the Nevado del Ruiz erupted on November 13, mudflows raced down the volcano and swallowed the town of Armero. Omayra Sánchez was trapped in the debris while rescuers who could not reach her waited for equipment, and Fournier photographed her before she died. The picture was named World Press Photo of the Year. It turned grief into a question of accountability. Fournier faced an outcry from people who asked why he had not helped her, a debate any reader weighing disaster images should know. He has said rescue was impossible, and that the picture helped raise aid worldwide and highlight the irresponsibility of the country's leaders, who had no evacuation plan.