BOGOTA, Colombia

A total of 80 people died and 10 went missing in heavy rains and landslides in Colombia since the beginning of March, the country’s disaster authority said Tuesday.

According to the latest report of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, Cundinamarca, Antioquia, and Santander were the most affected regions due to heavy rains and landslides.

Some 418 towns and 16,295 houses were severely damaged by heavy rains.

Also, 730 highways, 72 bridges, 37 pedestrian crossings, 90 aqueducts, 37 sewers, 108 educational institutions, and seven health centers were damaged.

In Colombia, every year floods and landslides cause many deaths and serious damage.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar in Ankara