Landslides Due To Burst Rain In Colombiabun Bus, 34 People Died

Landslides in Risaralda, Colombia. (Twitter/@davepetley)

JAKARTA - At least 34 people died when a landslide buried a bus in northwestern Colombia on Sunday, the government's disaster agency said Monday.

Landslides, caused by heavy rains, hit a bus on the road between the villages of Pueblo Rico and Santa Cecilia in the province of Risaralda, about 230 km (140 miles) northwest of the capital Bogota, the national body to manage risks and disasters (UNGRD) said in a statement.

The bus is reportedly traveling from Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, to Kotamadya Condoto in Choco Province.

Of the number of victims who died, eight of them were minors, said URRD.

Rescue teams are digging through the mud to find survivors, while authorities say nine people have been rescued alive.

One of the survivors was a 7-year-old girl who was found attached to her late mother, said Risaralda Governor Victor Tamayo.

Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro described the incident as a tragedy in Twitter's message. Expressing condolences to the families of the victims, President Petro promised assistance from the national government.

Landslides often occur in Colombia due to mountainous terrain, frequent heavy rains and unofficial residential construction.

The country will focus on reforestation to avoid further tragedy related to landslides in the future, Environment Minister Susana Muhamad said in a message on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Pueblo Rico Mayor Leonardo Fabio Siagama told reporters the bodies of the victims would be taken to a sports stadium in the city.

It is known that Colombia was affected by the rainy season which was unusually heavy, due to the La Nina weather phenomenon.

Incidents related to heavy rains have killed more than 216 people and caused 538,000 people to lose their homes so far in 2022, according to government statistics. In addition, 48 other people are still missing across the country, according to the figure.

The last major landslide that hit the country occurred in Mocoa City in 2017, resulting in the death toll of more than 320 people.