In this handout photo released by the Colombian Army Press Office, a rescue team recovers the body of a mudslide victim, that killed several people and left dozens injured, in western Colombia, Jan 13, 2024. (HANDOUT / COLOMBIAN ARMY PRESS OFFICE VIA AP)

BOGOTA - At least 34 people were killed and more than 20 others injured by a landslide that buried part of the Quibdo-Medellin Highway in northwest Colombia, local authorities confirmed Saturday.

The government of Choco department, where the natural disaster occurred, said in a statement that 34 people have been confirmed dead and the bodies were transferred to Medellin, the capital city of Antioquia.

Earlier, Colombia's Vice-President Francia Marquez confirmed on X, formerly Twitter, that the disaster had left 33 dead and 25 injured, a dramatic increase in fatalities from the previous report of at least 18 deaths.

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William Vivas, a local government official in Medellin, told reporters that "because it is an area of high rainfall, the constant rain causes a lot of instability in the mountains."