Guatemala landslide death toll climbs to 69

AFP, SANTA CATARINA PINULA, Guatemala: At least 69 people were killed when massive mudslides buried scores of homes on the outskirts of Guatemala’s capital city, officials said Saturday, as the death toll continued to climb.
An estimated 300 people were still missing, two days after the landslides suddenly hit, raising the prospect that the number of people who perished in the disaster could rise much higher. Julio Sanchez, a spokesman for firefighters who are leading the painstaking search for survivors, told reporters that several young children, including newborn babies, were among the dead in Santa Catarina Pinula.
On Thursday night, following heavy rain, waterlogged earth and debris tore through the village of El Cambray II, in the municipality of Santa Catarina Pinula, destroying or damaging 125 homes.

Guatemala landslide death toll climbs to 69

AFP, SANTA CATARINA PINULA, Guatemala: At least 69 people were killed when massive mudslides buried scores of homes on the outskirts of Guatemalas capital city, officials said Saturday, as the death toll continued to climb. An estimated 300 people were still missing, two days after the landslides suddenly hit, raising the prospect that the number of people who perished in the disaster could rise much higher. Julio Sanchez, a spokesman for firefighters who are leading the painstaking search for survivors, told reporters that several young children, including newborn babies, were among the dead in Santa Catarina Pinula. On Thursday night, following heavy rain, waterlogged earth and debris tore through the village of El Cambray II, in the municipality of Santa Catarina Pinula, destroying or damaging 125 homes.