Colombian rescuers search for children after river burst its banks

At least six people have been killed after a river burst its banks in Colombia, rescue workers say.

Rising water levels caused mudslides which swept away homes in Quetame, a municipality south-east the capital, Bogotá.

Rescue workers are searching for more than a dozen people who have been reported missing, among them a number of children.

A bridge linking Bogotá with the city of Villavicencio has been destroyed.

Six bodies have so far been retrieved according to a civil defence force official. Seven families have been evacuated but up to 20 people are feared to be missing, Colonel Jorge Díaz told Blu Radio.

Firefighters said six people had been taken to hospital.

The sudden surge in the level of the local river came after days of heavy rainfall.

The worst affected area is Naranjal, where at least 20 homes were destroyed by the rising waters.

Video uploaded to social media appears to show a house collapsing as the ground it stands on is being swept away by a fast-flowing river.

Heavy machinery has been brought in to clear the road from the mud which has engulfed it.