Bogota - A landslide killed at least four
people and left 18 missing in southwest Colombia, authorities
said on Wednesday, as the country grappled once again with the
deadly pairing of heavy rains and poor infrastructure.
Landslides are common in rural, mountainous areas of
Colombia, especially during wetter parts of the year. In April
more than 300 people died in a landslide in Mocoa, Putumayo.
Warnings of flash flooding on Tuesday night near the town of
Corinto, which sits at the foot of one of the country's Andean
ranges in Cauca province, came too late, some residents told
local media.
Videos on social media showed water rushing down darkened
streets as rain-swollen rivers overflowed and sent mud and rocks
down onto buildings.
President Juan Manuel Santos visited Corinto on Wednesday to
promise aid to its 30 000 residents, as rescue workers
continued to search for the missing.
The government said more than 3,000 people were evacuated
from a nearby area before the landslide struck Tuesday evening.
The government will pay rent for those left homeless and
help with funeral expenses, Santos said. The local school, which
partially collapsed, may have to be relocated, he said.