Bogota  - Wide areas of the Colombian capital Bogota were in chaos Thursday after several hours of rain caused flooding and blocked key avenues, prompting Mayor Samuel Moreno to declare a state of emergency.

The damage, particularly in the western districts of Fontibon, Kennedy and Tunjuelito, became clear Thursday morning after rains had fallen since Wednesday.

Officials at the Colombian Hydrology and Meteorology Institute said the amount of water that fell overnight in 12 hours was equivalent to the average for the city in a whole month.

In Fontibon, several apartment buildings were flooded as the Fucha river flowed over its banks, and residents had to be evacuated by the fire department aboard inflatable boats.

Scores of vehicles were trapped in several avenues and their occupants had to climb on to the roofs of their cars to await a rescue, while the road linking Bogota to the city of Girardot was blocked by mudslides.

In the city of Cucuta, capital of the Norte de Santander region, on the Venezuelan border, some 20 homes were devastated by a mudslide.

The government decreed a state of emergency earlier this week to free some 50 million dollars for the affected areas.

According to official reports, heavy rain in the past month has claimed 23 lives and left 10 injured and two people missing in Colombia. Some 43,000 people have suffered damage to their property.

The first rainy season of the year in Colombia usually lasts from April to June, but started earlier this year. dpa