Dozens of houses in a remote village in Guatemala have been buried by mudslides triggered by Storm Eta. Guatemala’s army has finally managed to reach Quejá in the Alta Verapaz region.

Al Jazeera reports that President Alejandro Giamattei said around 100 people were feared dead, with at least 50 deaths across the country confirmed. He said rescue efforts have been restrained due to Guatemala having only one helicopter suitable for rescue operations. President Giammattei added, “We have a lot of people trapped we have not been able to reach,”

Rescue operations have also been slowed down by inclement weather, and that roads are still blocked with large areas remaining flooded. A state of emergency has been declared in several areas.

Guatemala’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Lisandro Rosales, tweeted that public finances were already critical due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. He tweeted: “We make a call to the international community to accelerate the process of recovery and reconstruction.”

Umm Muhammed Umar