Guatemala: More than 50 dead in landslides due to the impact...

More than 50 people died in landslides registered in indigenous populations in northwestern Guatemala, caused by the impact of cyclone Eta, President Alejandro Giammattei reported on Thursday.

“In the morning we had four dead, now the figure is over 50 dead,” said the president at an impromptu press conference during a visit to the Caribbean town of Puerto Barrios (northeast), hit by floods.

Read more: Dramatic images of the ravages of Eta in Honduras: Villagers protect themselves from flooding on the roofs of houses

Deadly avalanches were registered this Thursday, especially in the north where a landslide left at least 25 houses buried, the president said.

The tragedy occurred due to a landslide that fell on numerous houses of an indigenous community.

Giammattei said that it is impossible to reach the area due to road collapses, caused by the heavy rains that the cyclone unloaded in almost all of Central America.

Another affected department is Huehuetenango (northwest), where landslides occurred that left about ten dead.

Read more: Soil placed in creek area could cause Nejapa landslide

The civil protection agency reported on Thursday morning five deaths from landslides, including two children aged 11 and 2.

The tropical scourge that Guatemala faces has left 1,500 families isolated in a farm in Izabal, who are incommunicado by land and sea, the Guatemalan president reported that a helicopter is making a trip to carry out aerial rescues and that another would join tomorrow.

The same situation exists in La Unión, Zacapa, located in the upper area and which remains isolated since the three accesses are disabled by the rain, the Guatemalan president said that they would wait for the weather to improve to evacuate people.