At least 12 people have died in a mudslide in Colombia that swept through many mountainside homes, local disaster officials say.
Officials said the slide occurred at about 2:00am Thursday in the central Colombian town of Marquetalia and caught the victims while the slept, reports AP.
Four children were among the dead, while 53 people were rescued.
Heavy rains cause floods and mudslides that kill dozens of people every year in Colombia. Rescue workers say the latest mudslide destroyed seven homes and affected 16 families.
Colombia's National Institute for Environmental Studies has warned that eight provinces in the country could face mudslides in the coming days.