Hours of heavy rains caused rivers to burst their banks, flooding homes with mud in Putumayo province. The Red Cross said that at least 220 were missing, and another 202 were injured.
President Juan Manuel Santos, who travelled to the area, said troops had been deployed as part of a national emergency response. He declared a state of emergency in the region.
Reuters news agency said more than 1,100 soldiers and police officers had joined the rescue effort.
The region's governor, Sorrel Aroca, told Colombian media that whole neighbourhoods had been buried. Rescue services said their efforts had been hampered by the continuing bad weather and damaged infrastructure.
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