The death toll rose to, at least, 900 in an earthquake that sparked landslides across El Salvador and Central America, roaring through villages and destroying countless homes. As information came in from the countryside, where hundreds of communities remained isolated.
The vast majority of deaths were here in Santa Tecla, where a mountain of rock and earth came tumbling down on the Las Colinas neighborhood, three miles (five kms) west of the capital. Hundreds of people were still believed to be buried beneath the rapidly compacting soil.
Salvadoran police said 1,830 people were injured and nearly 34,000 houses were damaged or destroyed in Saturday`s 7.6-magnitude quake. With the ground settling and time passing, rescuers said the chance of finding survivors was slipping - though one man was freed after using his cell phone to call for help.
Residents of Las Colinas complained that the government allowed land owners over the years to clear trees from the hillside, alleging that the lack of ground cover could leave those below vulnerable to landslides.
The quake loosened that hillside, burying the middle-class neighborhood at its base and bringing down some of the mansions above.
Although the largest number of deaths appeared to be in Las Colinas, the quake caused 185 landslides across El Salvador, burying coffee workers and blocking roads. The numbers varied and the toll was expected to rise. The emergency committee for the Santa Tecla region said 436 were dead here alone. The local committee said 366 remained missing - hundreds less than the figure given Saturday by the Red Cross.
Police said nearly 18,000 people had been evacuated from dangerous areas. Many were living with relatives or in shelters. Others who still had homes lacked basic services. Water service was cut to as many as half of the country`s 6 million people, the Pan-American Health Organisation said.
The World Food Programme began distributing food to 13,000 people and had enough to last two weeks.
Officials planned to seek more donations.
Aftershocks continued to rock the country on Monday, frightening residents and knocking more debris onto highways. Many towns were reachable only by helicopter, and little was known about damage or deaths in isolated communities.
Bureau Report
