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UN reports over 250 people dead in Colombian landslides

Xinhua, April 4, 2017 Adjust font size:

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the landslides in Colombia's city of Mocoa have left more than 250 people dead, said a spokesperson here on Monday.

UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a daily briefing that many more people are missing or injured in the landslides and the country's search-and-rescue efforts continue.

"The UN and the humanitarian country team are working closely with Colombian authorities and stand ready to offer assistance," said Dujarric.

The disaster began with an overnight downpour of rain which lasted for hours and caused rivers to overflow around Mocoa. On Saturday, the flood of mud and debris surged through the city and devastated several neighborhoods.

Mocoa is the capital city of the department of Putumayo in Colombia's Amazonian region. According to the country's meteorological agency, March was Colombia's rainiest month since 2011. Enditem