A mudslide in Colombia’s west kills at least 18 people and injures dozens others

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Officials in Colombia say that a mudslide has killed at least 18 people and left dozens injured in the country’s west. The National Disaster Risk Management Unit said in a statement that the avalanche covered a highway on a busy municipal road in a mountainous area that connects the cities of Quibo and Medellin, in western Colombia. At least 35 injured people were taken to different hospitals. Authorities announced they would start a search operation for missing people potentially still buried under the debris, the statement said. The risk management unit didn’t specify what could have caused the avalanche, but the Defense Department reported it has been raining in the area, making it difficult for rescue operations.