Mudslide in Colombian mountain village leaves more than 50 dead

A horrifying mudslide in a Colombian mountain village has left more than 50 people dead and dozens more injured after an overnight avalanche, Daily Mail reported Tuesday.

Rescuers searched for more bodies today and helped hundreds of survivors after heavy rains swept through Salgar, carrying away homes and people.

Survivors recalled being stirred at 3am yesterday by a loud rumble and shouting as properties and bridges plunged into the Libordiana ravine.

President Juan Manuel Santos said children had lost their parents and the bodies of those killed needed to be transported to Medellin for identification.

He vowed to rebuild the lost homes and provide shelter and assistance for the estimated 500 people affected by the calamity.

Santos said: "Nobody can bring back the dead... but we have to handle this disaster as best we can to move forward."

Last night Carlos Ivan Marquez, head of the National Disasters Unit, said 58 people had been killed and 37 injured. An unknown number are missing.

The flooding destroyed the town's aqueduct and even areas in less hazardous zones experienced flooding.

Authorities provided water, food supplies and blankets to help residents cope with what they described as a humanitarian emergency.

More than 150 disasters have struck Colombia over the past 40 years, claiming more than 32,000 lives and affecting more than 12 million people.

The tragedy in Salgar appeared to be the single deadliest event since a 1999 earthquake in the city of Armenia that left hundreds dead.

A wave of flooding during the 2011 rainy season left more than 100 dead. Additional but less intense rain is forecast over the next two to three days.