Mudslides following torrential rains have killed at least 154 people in southern Colombia. Hundreds of families have not been found, raising fears the death toll could be much higher.
A mudslide triggered by heavy rains in Colombia's southern Putumayo province killed at least 154 people late Friday as rescue crews scrambled to save nearly 200 more who went missing.
Governor Sorrel Aroca of the Putumayo department described the catastrophe as "an unprecedented tragedy," saying that "hundreds of families have not yet been found and whole neighborhoods missing."
President Juan Manuel Santos declared a state of emergency and ordered rescue crews and the military to respond to the disaster in the town of Mocoa, where he arrived to "guarantee attention to the victims."
Upon arriving in Mocoa on Saturday, Santos said the death toll could rise.
The Red Cross said nearly 400 people had been injured.
The town of 40,000 people was left without water or electricity.
The mudslides in the heavily-forested province were caused by the rise of water levels in the Mocoa River and three tributaries, sending mud and debris into homes overnight.
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