Mudslide kills 12 people in central Colombia

Colombian disaster officials say at least 12 people have died in a mudslide that swept through their mountainside homes.

Officials say the slide occurred at about 2 am Thursday in the central Colombian town of Marquetalia and caught the victims while the slept.

Four children were killed by the mudslide and 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.