Nearly 200 missing after Guatemala volcano eruption: official

Xinhua
A total of 192 people remained missing as of Tuesday due to the eruption of Fuego volcano in Guatemala, according to government authorities.
Xinhua
Nearly 200 missing after Guatemala volcano eruption: official
AFP

A dog is rescued in the ash-covered village of San Miguel Los Lotes, in Escuintla Department, about 35 km southwest of Guatemala City, on June 5, 2018, two days after the eruption of the Fuego Volcano.

A total of 192 people remained missing as of Tuesday due to the eruption of Fuego volcano in Guatemala, according to government authorities.

Sergio Cabanas, executive secretary of the National Coordination for Disaster Reduction of Guatemala, updated the information in a press conference.

CONRED said on Twitter that by 1:00pm local time (2000 GMT), the death toll from the volcano eruption reached 70, as rescuers recovered more bodies buried by ashes and mud that were swept into rivers.

CONRED also said the number of injuries remains at 46, while 1.7 million people have been affected. At least 3,271 people have been displaced and 2,625 relocated to temporary shelters.

The eruption has destroyed a bridge and affected two electricity grids and La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, which resumed operation on Monday.

Fuego volcano exploded around noon on Sunday and lava began flowing down in the afternoon.

According to CONRED, the eruption is "the strongest one recorded in recent years."

A state of disaster has been declared for the southern departments of Escuintla, Sacatepequez and Chimaltenango, which suffered the most in the disaster.


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