The death toll from an earthquake which rocked Central America rose early today to at least 138 people, but many more were missing in El Salvador, where a landslide triggered by the quake buried hundreds of homes. Rescue workers and members of the public toiled through the night searching for survivors in the worst-hit areas of El Salvador, often in darkness where the quake yesterday had cut power lines.
The authorities said the death toll was likely to rise further, with 1,200 people missing in a neighborhood near the capital, according to red cross figures. The strength of the quake, which happened midday yesterday, was estimated at between 7.4 and 7.9 on the Richter Scale.
Salvadoran President Francisco Flores declared a nationwide state of emergency and his government issued an urgent appeal for interational aid. At least 136 people were killed in El Salvador, with some 500 injured according to rescue officials. At least two people were killed in Guatemala.
In El Salvador, the Red Cross said that about 1,200 people were missing in the residential neighborhood of Las Colinas, 12 km west of here, where a massive landslide triggered by the quake left 330 homes in ruins.
The number of confirmed deaths at Las Colinas rose to 30 by the early hours today, as relatives of the missing, alongside rescue workers, searched frantically for survivors trapped in the rubble. Bureau Report