Guatemala mudslide toll rises to 253 dead

Santa Catarina pinula, Oct 10: The mounting toll from a mudslide that buried a Guatemalan community on October 1 has risen to 253 confirmed dead, authorities said Friday, with several hundred more unaccounted for.

Search and rescue efforts will continue through the weekend, but on Monday officials will meet to decide how much longer to continue the operation, deputy Public Health Minister Israel Lemus said.

Eight days after the disaster, 374 people remain unaccounted for in the town of Santa Catarina Pinula, 15 kilometers (nine miles) east of Guatemala City.

The death toll rose by 16 over Thursday's count as more remains were recovered, officials said. More than 100 homes were levelled in a section of the town known as Cambray II.

AFP