Bogota - Heavy rain that has pounded Colombia since mid- March has left nine people dead and caused damage to the property of more than 100,000 people, the authorities said Wednesday.

Social Protection Minister Diego Palacio also said 33 people have been injured, and 370 homes were completely destroyed.

Palacio said the rain has affected 192 municipalities in 27 of Colombia's 32 provinces.

The number of people whose property has been damaged increased by 20,000 since the weekend due to the overflow of the country's largest river, the Magdalena, and of one of its main tributaries, the Cauca.

The town of Nechi, in the north-western province of Antioquia, was among those most affected. The overflow of the Cauca flooded the homes of 7,000 people.

Flooding and mudslides have affected several municipalities in the provinces of Cundinamarca, Boyaca, Caldas and Santander.

The situation is particularly serious for poorer people who have built precarious homes on hillsides. (dpa)