SAN CRISTOBAL VERAPAZ, Guatemala (Reuters) – Rescuers fought Saturday on dangerous roads buried in dust and debris to a remote mountain village in Guatemala flooded by a devastating typhoon that killed dozens of people in Central America and southern Mexico.
Storm Eta’s torrential downwaters knocked down trees, obstructed fast rivers, and broke parts of a mountain over the village of Queja in Guatemala’s central Alta Verapaz region, burying dozens of other people in their homes.
The devastating climate front has spread destruction from Panama to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Mexico, which together have recorded more than 50 deaths.
A normal drizzle fell when firefighters from the town of San Cristobal Verapaz set out to undertake the journey on foot to Queja, which they said could take a full day.
“We’ve already tried to get through, but it’s very complicated and we’re not happy we can’t get through, but it’s very dangerous,” said Juan Alberto Leal, a local fireplace official. “The challenge is that there are several landslides along the way. “
Usually, the 22-kilometer (13. 7-mile) adventure from San Cristobal Verapaz to Queja takes an hour’s drive.
However, some 55 soldiers, 25 firefighters and 15 policemen controlled to get ahead of the disaster.
On Friday, President Alejandro Giammattei indicated that up to 150 more people could have been buried in the landslide of Queja.
Guatemala’s crisis aid agency, Conred, said there were still another 116 people missing and 12 appeared dead in the country.
This is not the first time a crisis has hit this corner of Alta Verapaz. The dominance around Complaint appears to have been the site of a massive landslide in a road passage a decade ago, which killed dozens of people, army spokesman Ruben Téllez said.
One of the fiercest storms that hit Central America in years, Eta hit Nicaragua on Tuesday as category four with 150-mile winds consistent with the hour (2four1 km/h).
Spilling relentless rains, it weakened into a tropical depression as it moved inland in Honduras and Guatemala before returning to the Caribbean Sea and advancing towards Cuba.
Cuba’s weather bureau warned Saturday of torrential rains and floods as Eta headed north of the island and headed to Florida.
(Additional report through Enrique García in Guatemala City; written through Anthony Esposito; edited through Dave Graham)
Subscribe
Sign up for our news explosion.