Over 200 killed in Colombia mudslide; rescue efforts on
April 02, 2017  21:46
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The death toll from a devastating landslide in the Colombian town of Mocoa stood at around 200 on Sunday as rescuers clawed through piles of muck and debris in search of survivors.

The Colombian Red Cross, which provided the revised consolidated toll, said it was unclear how many people were still missing.

An earlier Red Cross tally said 234 had been killed and more than 100 were unaccounted for. A spokesman for the organisation said the miscount was due to confusion about the identities of the victims.

At least 203 people were injured, some 300 families were affected and 25 homes destroyed, the Red Cross said.

The Pacific rim of South America has been hard hit in recent months by floods and mudslides, with scores killed in Peru and Ecuador as well.

Over a thousand emergency personnel, including soldiers and local police, were deployed to help the rescue effort. Mocoa was left without power or running water, and there were reports of people looting stores searching for bottled water. -- Agencies

IMAGE: Rescue agencies look for bodies in a destroyed area after heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads in Mocoa, Colombia. Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Reuters
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