The death toll from a recent landslide near the Colombian city of Medellin has risen to 16, authorities said on Thursday (June 26), as the search for more missing people continued.
The landslide occurred on Tuesday in a mountainous region near Colombia’s second-largest city, Belo. Heavy rains caused a nearby river to overflow.
Antioquia department governor Andres Julián Rendon said the death toll had risen to 16, with eight people still missing.
Belo mayor Lorena Gonzalez said the ground in the affected area was still “unstable” and rescue workers were taking “great risks” to continue searching.
Antioquia, located in the Andes mountains in western Colombia, is often hit by landslides during the rainy season. Last month, at least five people were killed in a landslide in Sabaneta, another suburb of Medellin.