At least 17 people have been killed and dozens of others were injured after a mudslide in western Colombia, officials said.

A search operation will get under way for people who may be buried under the debris after the landslide covered a highway connecting the cities of Quibdo and Medellin in Choco province on Friday.

Footage showed the moment the side of a mountain slid over the main road, covering some cars.

An unknown number of people are still missing.

“So far 17 bodies have been recovered from the area of the tragedy,” the government of Choco said on its X account.

At least 35 injured people were taken to different hospitals, the National Disaster Risk Management Unit said.

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The unit did not specify what could have caused the avalanche.

But Colombia’s defence department reported it had been raining in the area, thus making it difficult for rescue operations.

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President Gustavo Petro tweeted that his government would provide all support needed in what he described as a “horrible tragedy”.

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