Nine dead, 110 families affected in El Salvador landslide
San Salvador, Oct 30 (efe-epa).- At least nine have died and 110 families have been affected by a landslide in the north of El Salvador’s capital, according to preliminary data provided by government authorities.
The number of disappeared went from 35 to one, according to Interior Minister Mario Durán, who said that of the people who had disappeared, seven are hospitalized and two in critical condidion.
He added that “the other people are alive and have come to tell us that they are fine, that they left the place when they saw the situation, and others called the police to report and say that they are alive.”
“The figure at this time (of the night) has been reduced to one missing person, who we are still in search of, from the 35 that we reported at noon,” he added.
The landslide occurred in the community of El Angelito 1 and 2, in the town of Nejapa, and there are about 300 people from Civil Protection, relief forces and search and rescue units of the National Civil Police ( PNC) and the Fire Department, according to information from Civil Protection.
The presidency said the family groups have been relocated to temporary shelters near the area and will be provided with food. In addition, he said rescue teams remain in the disaster area to continue searching for victims.
It also reported that at least 75 homes were damaged and 60 were buried.
The General Directorate of Civil Protection decreed a red alert in the area of ??the landslide in order for the institutions of the civil protection system to carry out the necessary search, rescue, recovery and humanitarian assistance.
The landslide occurred at approximately 11:00 p.m. local time Thursday (05:00 GMT on Friday) after torrential rain in the towns of Quezaltepeque and Nejapa, and in the northern area of ??the San Salvador volcano.
According to authorities, the number of victims could increase in the coming hours during search and rescue tasks.
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) reported that scattered rains and storms of “moderate intensity” are expected, beginning in the northern fringe and central volcanic mountain range and moving to the southwest of the country.
Various sectors have spoken out to address the issue of the country’s vulnerability to rains. Families living in risk areas and in sheet and adobe houses are the most affected. EFE-EPA
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