At least 34 people were killed in landslides in Colombia

CNN
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Landslides in Colombia's northwestern Chocó region have killed at least 37 people, authorities of the Attorney General's Office told CNN en Español on Saturday.

The latest report did not mention the number of wounded.

“We are witnessing a very sad weekend for Chocó,” Nubia Governor Carolina Cordoba Cory said. “Our people feel the pain of the victims. I will not rest until I am sure that all Chocó residents have information about their relatives.”

Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez said on Friday that the landslides occurred on the road between the cities of Quibdo and Medellin, after the area was subjected to heavy rains for 24 hours.

Authorities said at least 17 bodies had been transported to Medellin for forensic examination.

Pictures posted on social media showed the moment a large piece of earth emerged from a mountain and fell on top of several cars that were moving along the flooded road below, Reuters reported.

Marquez also said that the Colombian National Disaster Risk Management Unit, the Colombian Civil Defense, the National Army, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Chocó Police Department were mobilized to respond to the incident.

Colombia has seen deadly mudslides before. In 2017, Hundreds of people were killed In a remote southern region of the country, after heavy rains led to a torrent of mud that submerged the city of Mocoa.