24 dead after river overflows, destroying homes in Colombia's Mocoa

Authorities say 24 people are dead after a river overflowed in Colombia, triggering an avalanche of water that destroyed homes and killed people in their sleep.

The incident triggered by intense rains left at least 65 people injured in Mocoa, a city of 350,000 people located near Colombia's border with Ecuador.

Carlos Ivan Marquez with Colombia's national disaster agency says the river flooded around midnight, catching unsuspecting residents off guard in the early hours on Saturday.

Emergency response workers were continuing the search for survivors, with the number of reported deaths climbing in the morning hours. Images shared by residents online showed vast areas filled with wood planks and other debris.

President Juan Manuel Santos is expected to visit the region on Saturday.