GUATEMALA CITY: At least 50 people have been killed by landslides in Guatemala after Storm Eta’s torrential rain and high winds battered the Central American country, officials said.
Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei in a televised speech said around half the deaths were in a single town where a hillside collapse buried some 20 houses under thick mud.
Eta made landfall in neighbouring Nicaragua as a hurricane on Tuesday. It was later downgraded to a tropical storm.
Giammattei said a month’s worth of rain had fallen in less than half a day during an impromptu press conference on Thursday.
Ongoing heavy rain has left rescue workers unable to reach one of the worst-affected areas, including the town of San Cristobal Verapaz, which is home to half of the reported casualties.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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