Bogota  - At least six people died and 20 were missing Saturday after landslides in Colombia followed violent rainfalls in Medellin, Colombia's second largest city.

Some 20 people were buried under the rubble of their homes, said Medellin mayor Alonso Salazar. The destroyed homes were in a poor neighbourhood on a hillside where 16 people were injured.

Colombia has been afflicted with heavy precipitation for weeks. Since the middle of March, at least 16 people have been killed in floods or landslides. Officials have estimated that some 124,000 have been impacted buy the flooding nationwide.

Infrastructure, roads, powerlines and agriculture have suffered damage. According meteorologists, rainfall could persist for another two weeks. (dpa)