Sawt Falasteen - Heavy rains thwart rescue effort after Colombian landslide

The operation has had to be suspended anew due to downpours that "pose a risk for the personnel," said Alvaro Farfan, chief of the fire department of the Cundinamarca department where the disaster occurred.

Several homes were destroyed and a major trade artery blocked after torrential rains hit Cundinamarca's Quetame municipality late Monday.

Fifteen bodies, four of them of children, were recovered from the mud and rubble on Tuesday before the search was temporarily called off due to bad weather.

The landslide washed away a vehicle bridge connecting Bogota to Villavicencio in the east -- one of the country's main freight routes that officials said would remain off-limits until at least the end of next week.

Quetame mayor Camilo Parrado has stated that the landslide dumped mud about two meters high in some places, making the search and rescue effort, aided by soldiers, a "very complex" one.

President Gustavo Petro, said on Twitter that the event, the latest in a series in the region, highlighted the need for bolstering anti-flooding mechanisms.

He also announced there would be additional flights between Bogota and Villavicencio to make up for the backup of delivery trucks.

The rainy season in Colombia started in June and usually lasts until November.

Last year, seasonal flooding in the country left some 300 dead overall, including 34 people who died when an avalanche swallowed up a bus and other vehicles.

I.Matar--SF-PST