storm
Several dead after floods in Guatemala and Mexico
Police and firefighters are searching for survivors in Guatemala City. photo
© Moises Castillo/AP/dpa
In Guatemala, Central America, flooding swept away several houses, killing at least six people. Seven people also died in a flash flood in Mexico.
After heavy rains in the capital of In Guatemala, several houses were swept away by the strong current of a river, and at least six people were killed, according to police. A dozen more people are missing, the Central American country’s National Emergency Agency (Conred) said.
According to authorities, the Las Vacas River overflowed its banks and washed away at least six simply constructed houses under the El Naranjo bridge on Monday night. Rescue workers searched for the missing people in the mud along a 15-kilometer stretch of river, Emisoras Unidas radio station reported.
“In light of the tragedy in the settlement of Dios Es Fiel that caused the flooding of the river, I express my deep concern and solidarity with the affected families,” wrote President Alejandro Giammattei on the X platform, formerly Twitter. 94 rescue workers are on duty.
Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America with 18 million inhabitants. During the rainy season, storms often cause landslides and floods with numerous fatalities.
Dead in flash flood in Mexico
At least seven people have died in a flash flood in western Mexico. Another nine people are still missing in the municipality of Autlán de Navarro and three have been rescued, wrote the governor of the state of Jalisco, Enrique Alfaro, on the online platform X, formerly Twitter. The rescue workers are on duty with search dogs and drones.
According to the authorities, the cause of the accident was an increased water level in the El Jalocote stream. The newspaper “El Informador” reported that several houses and bridges were damaged by the resulting mudslides. The mayor of Autlán, Gustavo Robles, spoke of eight deaths.