BOGOTA: Eleven people were killed and four others reported missing Friday in Colombia after heavy rains caused a landslide and forced already swollen rivers to burst their banks, officials said.

Rescue workers in the central department of Caldas "recovered nine bodies" including four minors after a landslide buried two houses, a spokesman for the national risk management office told AFP.

In northeast Magdalena, an overflowing river inundated two houses and washed away a bridge, killing two people and leaving four others missing.

The rainy season in Colombia, which began in September, has brought a wave of fatalities, with a total of 159 dead, according to official figures. More than 878,000 people have been affected by the rains.

Mountainous regions have been worst affected, with a high risk of landslides, mudslides and severe floods. AGENCIES