El Salvador’s death toll rises as heavy rains hit Central America: World: Latin Post

Atlantic hurricane season is already upon us and Central America has been hit hard by torrential rains. El Salvador is the hardest hit country as the country’s death toll continues to climb amid heavy rains, mudslides and floods causing damage.

Two weather systems are currently hitting Central America, including El Salvador and Guatemala. One of them is Tropical Storm Alberto, which has strengthened into a tropical depression but remains dangerous, while the other is a weather system that developed along the Pacific coast near Guatemala.

El Salvador’s two most recent deaths include two girls, ages 5 and 7, according to the Associated Press. Their deaths were confirmed by the country’s relief commands and civil protection, after alerting residents of the danger of possible landslides that could occur due to the heavy rains.

The report from El Salvador’s government agency reveals that the accumulation of water caused the walls of the girls’ house to collapse. Emergency services intervened immediately but it was too late, as it took them several hours to clear the rubble before finding and recovering their already lifeless bodies. Their parents managed to survive the collapse and were quickly transported to a nearby hospital.

Four other deaths were also reported, including two elderly people in the Panchimalco district and two other people in the Planes de Renderos region. Like the two girls, they also died after the walls of their house collapsed on them.

Civil Protection Director Luis Alonso Amaya quickly issued a statement saying: “We have already resolved just over 1,500 incidents. Among them, 19 deaths, 706 fallen trees and 521 roads temporarily blocked. Two of these trees caused the deaths of three people. people.”

El Salvador declares national emergency amid heavy rains

After 11 deaths were reported due to torrential rains, El Salvador declared a national state of emergency as mudslides and flooding occurred across the Central American country, according to Fox Weather.

READ MORE: Tropical Storm Alberto enters Mexico, kills 4

Photos and videos of the devastation were shared on social media as the US National Hurricane Center warned of the possibility of at least three different cyclones occurring due to the contributing Central American vortex tropical disturbances in the eastern Pacific. , Bay of Campeche or Western Caribbean Sea.

Heavy rains also become deadly in Guatemala and other Central American countries

It was not only El Salvador that experienced devastation, but also neighboring Guatemala which was also forced to close schools and also suffered several deaths due to mudslides and flooding.

In another wall collapse in the Guatemalan village of Chacaya, a man and a woman were killed as the government opened shelters across the country.

Seven people were killed in a landslide in Ecuador while 5,000 people were evacuated in Honduras as heavy rains also hit the country, according to DW.

READ MORE: Honduras imitates El Salvador with gang crackdown and massive 20,000-seat prison

This article belongs to Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Several dead in El Salvador as rains lash Central America | REUTERS