Mudslide swallows bus on Colombian highway, 34 killed

The deceased include eight children

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ ITDC NEWS A mudslide unleashed by torrential rain buried a bus and affected two other vehicles on a highway in central Colombia, killing at least 34 people, authorities said Monday.

The National Disaster Risk Management Unit said in a statement that eight children were among the dead.

The mudslide on Sunday divided a highway in two in the town of Pueblo Rico in the district of Risaralda. There were 33 people aboard the bus which was buried in two metres of mud and earth. A car with six passengers and a motorcycle with two people were also affected.

More than 70 search-and-rescue workers using backhoes and other equipment tried to reach survivors but they ended their search Monday afternoon after 24 hours.

Solidarity with the victims' families, they'll have the complete support of the national government," tweeted Colombian President Gustavo Petro.