Waist-deep California mudslides kill 13

At least 13 people are dead amid "waist-deep" mudslides in Southern California, where heavy rains triggered flooding, say officials.

Some 163 people have been taken to hospital. Twenty had "storm-related injuries" and four were critically hurt, BBC reports. 

A group of up to 300 people are reportedly trapped in Romero Canyon, east of Santa Barbara.

Police said the scene "looked like a World War One battlefield". 

The flooding and mudslides, affecting areas scorched by wildfires last month, have shut down more than 30 miles (48km) of the main coastal highway.

Emergency services said a number of people are unaccounted for and they expect the death toll to rise.

Thousands fled the deluge and more than 50 rescues have been performed.

The hardest hit homes were those that were not in the evacuation zone, officials say.