Bogota, July 19 : At least six people were dead and 11 others were missing after a landslide destroyed homes in central Colombia late Monday, local media reported Tuesday.

“The landslide swept away at least 15 houses. We have already recovered six bodies, seven people were injured and 11 are missing,” Camilo Parrado, mayor of Quetame in the Cundinamarca department, was quoted as saying.

Parrado said it was a “very difficult situation,” and the dead included one child.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has expressed condolences to the families of the victims, saying that there was an urgent need to work to prevent these types of natural disasters following heavy rains.

“Mayors must prioritize this principle,” he said from Brussels, Belgium.

The landslide also destroyed a toll bridge, which led to the total closure of the Llano roadway connecting the capital Bogota with the city of Villavicencio.