Colombia mudslide death tolls rises to 254; 43 children dead

On Friday night, torrential rains caused three rivers surrounding the southern Colombian city of Mocoa to overflow, sending mud and debris surging into the city. According to a CNN report, more than 250 people, including 43 children, are dead. Hundreds more are injured.

More than thousand soldiers and national police officers have been deployed for the rescue operation.

Power and water supplies to Mocao have been cut by the disaster and the hospitals have also been shutdown. Cars and buses are trapped in several feet of mud. Around 300 families have been displaced and more than two dozen houses have been flattened by the mudslide.

Torrential rains have pummeled some other parts of the region also, including Peru, where 80 people have been killed due to the mudslide in recent weeks. Some 1,20,000 people have also been left homeless in the area.

Heavy rains, deforestation and dense human populations have been some of the factors responsible for the landslides in the region.