29 killed, hundreds missing in Guatemala landslide

Nearly 30 people have been killed and about 600 others missing in a landslide near Guatemala’s capital, officials say.

The landslide happened on the outskirts of Guatemala City, in the town of Santa Catarina Pinula and the small village of El Cambray II, authorities told reporters on Friday.

A hillside collapsed in the area after heavy rains on Thursday, according to the officials.

“We have 29 dead people identified and one still unidentified,” said Sergio Cabanas, incident commander for the government’s disaster reduction office, CONRAD.

CONRAD officials also said 34 people were pulled out alive from the mud and rubble, while 25 others were injured.

Authorities say the death toll and the number of those missing were expected to rise. The victims included at least three children.

Scores of rescuers, police, residents and soldiers were on the scene to help rescue those trapped in the devastating landslide, local media reported.

Some families said their missing loved ones were sending them text messages via mobile phones 24 hours after the landslide struck the area.

A number of people were believed to have been asleep in their homes when the mudslide occurred, officials said.

President Alejandro Maldonado said in a press conference that several countries including Cuba and the US offered help to Guatemala after the landslide.

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