Mudslide kills 17 in Colombia

At least 17 people were killed and 13 others were missing after a mudslide that buried eight houses early Sunday in southwestern Colombia, authorities said.

The national risk management agency gave the updated toll after rescue efforts in Rosas, in the department of Cauca, were halted at nightfall.

Reducing by two an earlier toll of 19 killed that was given by firefighters, it added that five people had also been injured. Meanwhile, the estimated number of missing was confirmed by an agency official speaking on condition of anonymity.

A search had been underway for people who might be trapped under rubble. The injured were treated at hospitals near the scene of the disaster, the agency said.

It attributed the mudslide to the heavy rains that have battered the country for several weeks. Mudslides are common during Colombia's rainy season.