Three children found dead, ten others missing after landslide in Guatemala

[News_Editor]

Three children found dead, ten others missing after landslide in Guatemala

2011-09-22 08:21:02 GMT+7 (ICT)

GUATEMALA CITY (BNO NEWS) -- At least three children were killed and ten other people remain missing after a landslide in western Guatemala, one day after a series of earthquakes rocked the country, officials said on Wednesday.

The landslide was caused by accumulation of humidity on Mount El Manantial in Santa Cruz Barillas, located in Guatemala's municipality of Huehuetenango. It engulfed four residential units where several people were sleeping at around 3 a.m. local time.

Following the loud rumble, neighbors rushed to the scene of the incident and were able to rescue a 2-year-old boy who survived despite suffering from some injuries. Rescue workers later pulled out three bodies, all of them brothers of the boy aged four, six, and seven.

Meanwhile, search and rescue teams continue working at the scene as the father of the children and nine other people remain missing. It was not immediately known who the other nine people were, or if any children were among them.

Guatemala's National Disaster Reduction Ministry (Conred) director Sergio Cabañas said an aerial review of the zone carried out with the assistance of the nation's Air Force would be carried out on Wednesday to check for fissures on the mountain slopes or any break offs of land. The aerial review was initially scheduled for Tuesday after the earthquakes, but it was postponed due to bad weather.

Cabañas added that the Santa Cruz Barillas landslide involved dry land, which increases the chance of finding survivors as oxygen may still be available for those buried. However, time is still working against the rescue teams.

According to Conred data, Santa Cruz Barillas was not labeled as a danger zone for possible landslides. Local residents had not reported any movement on the mountain's slope, as a 2009 map showed the region as a 'low probability of landslide' area.

Conred spokesman David de Leon, meanwhile, said no temporary camp had been set up for the affected, although he mentioned the community lounge and church could be used as a camp.

On Monday, at least three people were killed when a series of light to moderate earthquakes struck Guatemala in rapid succession that afternoon. In Cuilapa, the capital of the Santa Rosa department, volunteer firefighters said about 400 people were evacuated to the city's military zone, which had been designated as a temporary refugee camp. Firefighters also reported three deaths in the region.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-09-22