Earthquake and flooding hit Central America

TWO villages in Guatemala were buried under a rush of mud and floodwaters yesterday after the side of a volcano gave way, while a strong earthquake rocked neighbouring El Salvador last night.

Residents said at least 50 people were killed in the landslide in Solola, a town close to the popular tourist destination of Lake Atitlan, that remained cut off from the outside world. It was the deadliest of the floods that have killed 250 people in Central America and southern Mexico.

“We’ve been pulling bodies out for two days and we’ve found 50 in an area encompassing 1,075 square feet,” Lucas Ajpus, a former firefighter coordinating rescue efforts, said.