20 missing as deadly landslide claims 8 lives in Colombia

At least eight people were killed and 20 were reported missing in central Colombia overnight due to a deadly landslide that occurred due to heavy rains, according to authorities.

The Director of Civil Defence Jorge Diaz revealed to Noticias Caracol TV that two children were among the deceased.

In the vicinity of the town of Puente Quetame in the Cundinamarca department, he claimed, the catastrophe occurred on a road connecting Bogota to the country's southeast.

After torrential rains pounded the area on Monday afternoon and through the night, the Cundinamarca fire department estimated that 20 people were missing.

About 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the capital, the landslide happened close to a toll booth and numerous survivors were evacuated by firefighters, while six of them were taken to a hospital.

"We also have 20 houses totally destroyed," said Diaz. "There is talk of between 11 and 20 people missing."

One of the main freight routes in the nation was blocked by large stones and mud which also buried several vehicles, according to footage broadcast on Caracol.

President Gustavo Petro sent out a tweet expressing his "heartfelt condolences" to the victims' families.

Lately, different regions across the world including Pakistan, India, Japan and South Korea have been hit with severe flash floods, leading to increased landslides that have resulted in a drastically high death toll.