The death toll from mudslides in southwest Colombia has risen to 254, with dozens of children among those killed, President Juan Manuel Santos said late Sunday.

Santos declared a state of emergency in Mocoa Saturday, where more than 1,000 soldiers and police are working in challenging conditions as part of a huge relief operation.

Relief workers face challenging conditions, with the slides having cut off roads, and rain continuing to fall, raising the risk of further slips. Scores of dead remain unidentified and streets are buried in layers of thick mud.

Read the rest of this article on VICE NEWS.