14 killed, 35 injured as deadly landslide hits Colombia 

Bogota: At least 14 people have been killed while 35 others sustained injuries after landslide engulfed several homes in central Colombia, the country's disaster management agency said. 

The incident in Dosquebradas, close to the city of Pereira, followed heavy rains in the surrounding coffee-growing province. 

National Unit for Disaster Risk Management on its official twitter handle wrote, "Our updated report indicates that 35 people were injured, 14 lost their lives and one remains missing". 

Rescue efforts were ongoing, it added.

#Risaralda | Continúan labores de respuesta y atención en #Pereira y #Dosquebradas luego del movimiento en masa que afectó a la comunidad del barrio La Esneda. Reporte actualizado indica que 35 personas quedaron heridas, 14 perdieron la vida y continúa 1 desaparecida. pic.twitter.com/JPrFnVqFEG

— UNGRD?? (@UNGRD) February 8, 2022

In the meantime, authorities evacuated dozens of nearby homes as the Otun River overflowed. 

Landslides are common in Colombia due to the mountainous terrain, frequent heavy rains and poor or informal construction of houses. 

Colombia’s most recent large landslide disaster was in the city of Mocoa in 2017, which killed over 320.