Rains continue to assault Colombia

BOGOTA, May 13 (UPI) -- More than 10 hours of heavy downpours hit Bogota, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate, officials said.

Evacuations were ordered after the Bogota River overflowed a retention barrier that was set up near the neighboring town of Mosquera.

Firefighters helped evacuate people from south Bogota's Pensilvania neighborhood, El Espectador reported Friday.

The instability of roadways has made it difficult for authorities to get the situation under control.

Flooding and landslides have affected various parts of north and central Colombia.

The extreme rainy season has left residents in states of emergency in the departments of Boyaca, Santander and Cundinamarca.

The rains are expected to continue into June.