Officials have been scrambling to free survivors after a mudslide brought on by heavy rains in northwest Colombia killed at least 34 people and injured dozens on a busy highway.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The mudslide, which happened Friday afternoon, covered a roadway that connects the cities of Quibdo and Medellin in the Pacific province of Choco.
Rescuers and canines from across Colombia were dispatched to the scene to search for injured people.
"We lived a very sad weekend for Choco, our people feel the pain of the victims," said Choco Governor Nubia Cordoba Curi in a statement.
Images on social media showed the moment a large piece of land dislodged from a mountain and fell on top of several cars that were moving along the flooded road below.
The National Disaster Risk Management Unit said initially in a statement that at least 18 people had died.
The agency also has said that at least 35 injured people were taken to different hospitals.
Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez posted on the social platform X that some of the victims are minors, and that other people remain trapped under the mud.
The risk management unit did not specify what could have caused the mudslide but the Defence Department reported on Friday night that it has been raining in the area, making it difficult for rescue operations.
President Gustavo Petro tweeted on Friday that his government would provide all support needed in what he described as a "horrible tragedy".
Australian Associated Press
