Colombia landslide kills at least 14 and injures 35

People remove debris following a landslide caused by heavy rains, that killed and injured residents and destroyed homes, in Pereira, Colombia, February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Vladimir Encina Duque

BOGOTA — At least 14 people were killed and 35 injured after a landslide covered several homes in central Colombia on Tuesday, 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.

“Our updated report indicates that 35 people were injured, 14 lost their lives and one remains missing,” the UNGRD disaster agency said on Twitter of the early morning landslide in the La Esneda neighborhood. Rescue efforts were ongoing, it added.

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.

The country’s most recent large landslide disaster was in the city of Mocoa in 2017, when over 320 people were killed.