AMATITLAN, Guatemala (Reuters) – Stunned victims of Tropical Storm Agatha wept by destroyed homes and rescue crews dug bodies out of mud in Guatemala yesterday after torrential rain killed at least 132 people across Central America.
People caked in dirt searched for their loved ones as the stench of mud and sewage from flooded drains filled the air of towns outside Guatemala City and emergency workers urged survivors to leave ruined houses and go to shelters.
The first named storm of the 2010 Pacific hurricane season, Agatha slammed into Guatemala on Saturday, dumping more than 3 feet (1 metre) of rain in the mountainous west of the country and in neighboring El Salvador, and sparking worries about damage to the coffee crop in both countries.
“I’ve got no one to help me. I watched the water take everything,” said Carlota Ramos in the town of Amatitlan near the Guatemalan capital, crying into her hands outside her brick house almost completely swamped by mud.
More than 60 people were still reported missing in Guatemala yesterday, and as the sun came out, exhausted rescue workers hauled away stones and tree trunks from crushed houses as they fought to reach the wounded.
“We just have shovels and picks. We don’t have any machinery to dig,” said firefighter Mario Cruz, who had been working almost nonstop since Friday night.
Other rescuers walked for several hours along muddy tracks to reach trapped villagers and pull them out of collapsed homes. “We had to walk with our equipment through the mountains, rescue people and then walk back again,” said firefighter Rony Veliz. “It’s been very hard.”
Some helicopters ferried tents and medical supplies to remote towns on Guatemala’s Pacific coast and the first foreign aid began to flow in yesterday.
The US government donated $113,000 to pay for emergency supplies and to charter private helicopters to assist in the relief effort. The Guatemalan government is expected to formally appeal for aid by today.
