A landslide in Colombia's southwestern border province of Putumayo sent mud and debris crashing onto houses, killing at least 112 people and injuring hundreds more, officials said on Saturday.

Heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment onto buildings and roads in the provincial capital of Mocoa.

Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos confirmed at least 112 people had been killed after intense rains triggered an avalanche of mud and water from overflowing rivers that swept through a small city. </s> A landslide in Colombia’s southwestern border province of Putumayo sent mud and debris crashing onto houses overnight, killing 112 people and injuring at least 120, officials said on Saturday.

Heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment onto buildings and roads in the provincial capital of Mocoa. “It has just been reported to me that we have 112 people dead,” President Juan Manuel Santos said after arriving in Mocoa and declaring a state of emergency. “We will keep looking.”

Local police said earlier on Saturday that 93 bodies had been recovered. The disaster response unit said 120 people were injured. (Reuters)

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr. </s> A landslide in Colombia’s southwestern border province of Putumayo sent mud and debris crashing onto houses overnight, killing 154 people and injuring at least 120, officials said on Saturday.

Heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks onto buildings and roads in the provincial capital of Mocoa and immobilising cars in several feet of mud.

“It has just been reported to me that we have 112 people dead,” president Juan Manuel Santos said after arriving in Mocoa and declaring a state of emergency. “We will keep looking,” he added, referring to ongoing rescue efforts. The number has since risen.

Local police said earlier on Saturday that 93 bodies had been recovered. The disaster response unit said 120 people were injured, though local media reported at least 200.

“We have sent a team of 150 people to make our response effective and machinery began work immediately,” Carlos Ivan Marquez, head of the disaster unit, said in a statement. “We will be with the governor and the mayor giving all necessary attention.”

Photos posted on Twitter by the air force showed neighborhood streets filled with mud and damaged houses while videos on social media showed residents searching for survivors in the debris and struggling to move through waist-high water overnight.

“It’s a big area,” Mocoa Mayor Jose Antonio Castro told Caracol on Saturday. “A big portion of the many houses were just taken by the avalanche, above all people were warned with enough time and they were able to get out, but houses in 17 neighborhoods have basically been erased.”

Two bridges also were destroyed, Mr Castro said.

A combination of heavy rains, a mountainous landscape and informal construction of homes makes landslides in the Andean country relatively common. Reuters </s> A landslide in Colombia's southwestern border province of Putumayo that sent mud and debris crashing onto houses overnight. (AFP)

BOGOTA (Reuters) - A landslide in Colombia's southwestern border province of Putumayo sent mud and debris crashing onto houses overnight, killing at least 154 people and injuring scores, officials said on Saturday.

Heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks onto buildings and roads in the provincial capital of Mocoa and immobilizing cars in several feet of mud.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos flew to Mocoa, population 345,000, to oversee rescue efforts on the city outskirts and speak with affected families.

"We will do everything possible to help them," Santos said after confirming the death toll. "It breaks my heart."

Officials were working to determine the number of missing, Santos said. Nearly 200 people were injured, the defense ministry said, and more than 1,100 soldiers and police officers were called in to dig people out.

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"We have sent a team of 150 people to make our response effective and machinery began work immediately," Carlos Ivan Marquez, head of the national disaster unit, said in a statement.

Even in a country where heavy rains, a mountainous landscape and informal construction of homes combine to make landslides a common occurrence, the scale of the Mocoa disaster was daunting. By comparison, a 2015 landslide killed nearly 80 people in Salgar, Antioquia.

"It's a big area," Mocoa Mayor Jose Antonio Castro, who lost his house, told Caracol radio on Saturday. "A big portion of the many houses were just taken by the avalanche."

He said that people were warned ahead of time and many were able to get out, but several neighborhoods and two bridges had been destroyed.

Photos posted on Twitter by the air force showed neighborhood streets filled with mud and damaged houses, while videos on social media showed residents searching for survivors in the debris and struggling to move through waist-high water during the night. </s> Latest on the landslide in Colombia

04:10 (GMT+4) A landslide in Colombia's southwestern border province of Putumayo sent mud and debris crashing onto houses overnight, killing at least 250 people and injuring scores, officials said on Saturday.

Heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks onto buildings and roads in the provincial capital of Mocoa and immobilizing cars in several feet of mud.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos flew to Mocoa, population 345,000, to oversee rescue efforts on the city outskirts and speak with affected families.

"We will do everything possible to help them," Santos said after confirming the death toll. "It breaks my heart."

22:32 (GMT+4) A landslide in Colombia's southwestern border province of Putumayo sent mud and debris crashing onto houses overnight, killing 93 people and injuring at least 120, Reuters reported.

Heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment onto buildings and roads in the provincial capital of Mocoa.

"At this time we have removed 93 bodies. We have adults, women and infants," police commander Colonel Omar Bonilla told radio station Caracol.

The disaster response unit has so far only given a toll of 24 deaths, with 120 people injured.

"We have sent a team of 150 people to make our response effective and machinery began work immediately," Carlos Ivan Marquez, head of the unit, said in a statement. "We will be with the governor and the mayor giving all necessary attention."

Photos posted on Twitter by the air force showed neighborhood streets filled with mud and damaged houses while cell phone videos on social media showed residents searching for survivors in the debris.

"It's a big area," Mocoa Mayor Jose Antonio Castro told Caracol on Saturday. "A big portion of the many houses were just taken by the avalanche but above all the people were warned with enough time and they were able to get out but houses in 17 neighborhoods have basically been erased."

Two bridges also were destroyed, Castro said.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is on his way to the area, the government said. Santos said on Twitter that he was praying for the victims.

Heavy rains and a mountainous landscape regularly cause landslides in the Andean country. </s> world

Updated: Apr 02, 2017 01:13 IST

A landslide in Colombia’s southwestern border province of Putumayo sent mud and debris crashing onto houses overnight, killing 154 people, Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos said on Saturday

Heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment onto buildings and roads in the provincial capital of Mocoa.

“At this time we have removed 93 bodies. We have adults, women and infants,” police commander Colonel Omar Bonilla told radio station Caracol.

The disaster response unit has so far only given a toll of 24 deaths, with 120 people injured.

“We have sent a team of 150 people to make our response effective and machinery began work immediately,” Carlos Ivan Marquez, head of the unit, said in a statement. “We will be with the governor and the mayor giving all necessary attention.”

Photos posted on Twitter by the air force showed neighborhood streets filled with mud and damaged houses while cell phone videos on social media showed residents searching for survivors in the debris.

“It’s a big area,” Mocoa Mayor Jose Antonio Castro told Caracol on Saturday. “A big portion of the many houses were just taken by the avalanche but above all the people were warned with enough time and they were able to get out but houses in 17 neighbourhoods have basically been erased.”

Two bridges also were destroyed, Castro said.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is on his way to the area, the government said. Santos said on Twitter that he was praying for the victims.

Heavy rains and a mountainous landscape regularly cause landslides in the Andean country.

First Published: Apr 01, 2017 21:56 IST </s> The bodies of more than 250 people have been pulled out of mud and rubble in Colombia after deadly landslides struck the southern American country. As rescue personnel race to find survivors, as many as 200 people are still unaccounted for.

Water from three overflowing rivers swept through the town of Mocoa, located in south-western Colombia, flooding homes and sweeping away vehicles as big as lorries. Most of the victims were caught unawares as the mudslides hit when they were asleep. Just after midnight, an avalanche of muddy waters and debris uprooted trees and destroyed buildings on their way leaving little time for inhabitants to cope with the situation. Mocoa, the capital of Putumayo province, lies near the border with Ecuador.

The three rivers broke their banks after a month of heavy rainfall in the region. President Juan Manuel Santos declared a state of emergency after visiting the disaster zone. He said the death toll could be higher as scores of people were still missing. Close to 400 people have been injured so far, many of critically.

Over 1,100 military and police personnel have been deployed to carry out rescue operations. But rescue work has been hampered by poor weather and lack of electricity.

Images showed troops carrying women and children over mud-caked houses and trees.

Hundreds of families have been displaced in Mocoa with local reports suggesting similar devastation in at least a dozen other hamlets in the area. Fear has gripped the area that river waters could rise again affecting the neighbourhood.

"The hospital collapsed and we don't have water, electricity and gas. The bridges are destroyed. The roads to Huila are impassable. We are fenced in," Mocoa's Mayor Jose Castro said. "The rains are going to remain inclement and I fear they could lead to another tragedy to add to the pain we people from Putumayo are already feeling." </s> Torrential overnight rainfall causing a landslide in Mocoa, Colombia claims the lives of more than 250 people. Flooding and mudslides sent debris and fast flowing water into houses as residents of Putumayo province’s capital city slept. An army statement reported that a further 400 people had been injured and 200 were missing </s> At least 17 people were killed and seven are missing after a landslide sent mud and rocks crashing into several neighborhoods in Manizales, Colombia, the government said on Wednesday, the second deadly landslide in the country this month.

Recent heavy rains have endangered residents in dozens of provincial towns, where makeshift construction on the slopes of the Andes mountains makes neighborhoods particularly susceptible to avalanches and flooding.

The landslide in Manizales, capital of coffee-growing Caldas province west of Bogota, followed a similar disaster in Mocoa, Putumayo earlier this month that killed more than 320 people and displaced thousands from their homes.
A landslide in Colombia's southwestern border department of Putumayo sends mud and debris crashing onto houses killing over 250 people and injuring at least 400 others. In addition, 200 people are missing.