Tuesday 06 January
2009, San José, Costa
Rica
Central America,
Not Yet a Priority for Obama
Turbulent New Year
in Nicaragua
Landslide Death Toll
Rises To 33 in Guatemala
76 Killed In Colombia's
Rainy Season
Cuban Monument Honors
Omar Torrijos
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Landslide Death Toll
Rises To 33 in Guatemala
Guatemala - The death
toll from a massive
landslide in northern
Guatemala rose to 33 on
Monday, the National
Coordinator for Disaster
Reduction (Conred) in
Guatemala said.
According to information
from Guatemala City, 11
more bodies were
uncovered by rescue
teams, raising the death
toll from the previously
reported 22 to 33 from
the landslide that
occurred Sunday near the
village of Alta Verapaz.
More than 100 rescuers
were working at the
site, a stretch of rural
road under construction
between San Cristobal
and Chicaman, near Alta
Verapaz.
The accident occurred as
more than 50 peasants
walked by the road
project after work. The
death toll could still
rise because about 140
people were reported
near the site at the
time the landslide
occurred, rescuers said.
President Alvaro Colom
expressed condolence to
the families of the
victims.
An official commission
arrived at the site on
Monday to investigate
the cause of the
landslide.
Landslides most commonly
occur from May to
October when the soil is
loosened by heavy rain.
This time, however, it
has to be determined
whether the landslide
was linked to possible
problems with the
roadwork or to
geological faults.
A Conred official said
earlier that the
landslide was caused by
a geological fault.
A Japanese company named
Tokura has been building
a highway in the area
but suspended its
workdays before the
accident because of
landslide risks.
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