Colombia landslides: Over 200 die in Putumayo floods

Landslides have killed at least 206 people in south-west Colombia and left many more injured, aid officials say.

Hours of heavy rains overnight caused rivers to burst their banks, flooding homes with mud in Putumayo province.

The Red Cross said that at least 220 were missing, and another 202 were injured.

President Juan Manuel Santos, who travelled to the area, said troops had been deployed as part of a national emergency response. He declared a state of emergency in the region.

Reuters news agency said more than 1,100 soldiers and police officers had joined the rescue effort. One army officer said the main local hospital was struggling to cope.

The region governor, Sorrel Aroca, told Colombian media that whole neighbourhoods had been buried.

Rescue services said their efforts had been hampered by continuing bad weather and damaged infrastructure.

There are mobility issues on almost 80% of the roads, and from where the road ends, it is three hours to where the landslide took place, said one police officer.

Bridges have also been swept away.

In neighbouring Peru, more than 90 people have died since the start of the year because of unusually heavy rainfall, which also caused landslides and flash floods.

-BBC
-Agencies