Colombia: Mudslide kills at least 14

At least 14 people died and several others were wounded in a mudslide in Colombia, local authorities said on Tuesday.

Heavy rain caused a mudslide on a mountain that hit homes in the cities of Dosquebradas and Pereira, located in Colombia's western-central Risaralda province.

Colombia's disaster management authority, the UNGRD, initially reported seven deaths, which was later doubled.

Rescue teams dug through the mud looking for survivors, the UNGRD said.

What damage did the mudslide cause?

"We have counted 14 people who died, and 34 people have been injured by the landslide," said Pereira mayor Carlos Maya.

Around 54 homes were vacated in Pereira and 15 in Dosquebradas to "minimize" the threat of future landslides, Maya added.

Several families living close to the river were evacuated due to risk of flooding.

"We are currently managing the entire evacuation perimeter because we still detect soil instability," Alvaro Arias, government secretary in Risaralda, told broadcaster Blu Radio.

Rescue teams said they feared that the disaster could worsen if new mudslides result in the nearby Otun river being dammed.

sdi/fb (AFP, Efe, Lusa)