Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Fallen bridges hamper Guatemala storm rescue
|
Edition:
U.S.
Article
Comments (0)
Slideshow
Video
Save
Email
Print
Reprints
Most Popular
Most Shared
Asian stocks fall, yen dips as Japan PM quits
| Video
3:03am EDT
WRAPUP 1-BP embarks on latest bid to capture gushing oil
1:00am EDT
Japan PM quits before election
1:46am EDT
Hole opens in Guatemala neighborhood, 3 missing
23 Feb 2007
Blagojevich corruption trial may touch Obama
1:04am EDT
Apple's Steve Jobs finds Foxconn deaths "troubling"
2:27am EDT
Google phases out Microsoft Windows use: report
01 Jun 2010
BP embarks on latest bid to capture gushing oil
| Video
1:06am EDT
Al and Tipper Gore separating after 40 years of marriage
| Video
01 Jun 2010
Butt test shows U.S. cigarettes high in chemicals
01 Jun 2010
Google phases out Microsoft Windows use: report
01 Jun 2010
Butt test shows U.S. cigarettes high in chemicals
01 Jun 2010
Japan PM quits before election
1:46am EDT
Arizona governor to meet Obama on immigration
01 Jun 2010
UPDATE 4-Novo pulls drugs from Greece over price cuts
31 May 2010
Fallen bridges hamper Guatemala storm rescue
| Video
01 Jun 2010
Urine test improves prostate diagnosis: study
01 Jun 2010
Hole opens in Guatemala neighborhood, 3 missing
23 Feb 2007
Chocolate may cut cholesterol but only in some people: study
01 Jun 2010
Asian stocks fall, yen dips as Japan PM quits
| Video
3:03am EDT
Fallen bridges hamper Guatemala storm rescue
Herbert Hernandez
GUATEMALA CITY
Tue Jun 1, 2010 9:58pm EDT
Related News
Fallen bridges hamper Guatemala storm rescue
Tue, Jun 1 2010
Scenarios: 2010 hurricanes may wreak havoc on oil spill, Haiti
Tue, Jun 1 2010
SCENARIOS-2010 hurricanes may wreak havoc on oil spill, Haiti
Tue, Jun 1 2010
Rescuers dig after Central America storm kills 113
Mon, May 31 2010
Central America storm kills 74, more victims feared
Sun, May 30 2010
Related Video
Guatemala storm leaves 50 missing
Tue, Jun 1 2010
1 / 27
A giant sinkhole caused by the rains of Tropical Storm Agatha is seen in Guatemala City May 31, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Casa Presidencial/Handout
GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Collapsed roads and highway bridges complicated rescue efforts in Guatemala on Tuesday after Tropical Storm Agatha drenched Central America, burying homes under mud and killing at least 180 people.
World | Green Business
Dozens of people were still missing and rescue teams struggled to reach remote rural communities after the storm cut off roads and destroyed up to 18 major road bridges and dozens of smaller footbridges.
"We're trying to get to the communities but we're finding that bridges are down and we have to walk, so it is taking so much longer," said firefighter Rony Veliz.
Some 35,000 people remained in emergency shelters three days after Agatha, the first named storm of the 2010 Pacific hurricane season, hit western Guatemala, dumping more than 3 feet (1 meter) of rain in places and raising concern over the coffee crop there and in El Salvador.
Guatemalan aid workers relied on six helicopters sent by the United States, as well as private helicopters, to get tents and medical supplies to remote towns on the Pacific coast, but villagers in inland areas were frustrated at the lack of help.
"We've gone several days now without aid from the government and we don't have enough water and food," said a caller to Guatemalan radio from the town of Huehuetenango in the western highlands.
At least 152 people were killed in Guatemala, either crushed in their homes or swept away by swollen rivers, and 100 others were missing, according to the government. Twelve people were killed in El Salvador and 16 in Honduras.
By Tuesday, the rain had stopped and Guatemala reopened its international airport. But giant sinkholes in the capital created death traps on streets, having swallowed entire buildings as they opened up and blocking off major roads.
"I've got to move house before this hole gets any wider," said a 50-year-old man whose home is just a few feet away from the edge of the one of the gaping pits in the city.
Health Minister Ludwin Ovalle said outbreaks of dengue and malaria were likely in the coming days. "We will see outbreaks because of stagnant water," he said.
SMALL PRICE RALLY
While some farmers were concerned that damp conditions could lead to fungus and seriously damage coffee crops, Anacafe growers group head Ricardo Villanueva said that was unlikely and that production in the 2010/2011 harvest would be reduced by about 3 percent.
"Today there was sun," Villanueva said. "If we were to have a cloud ceiling for seven or 15 days we'd have problems, but not now."
Arabica coffee futures trading on ICE Futures U.S. rose in heavy volume, with the key July contract climbing 2.3 cents, or 1.7 percent, to close at $1.3655 per lb, after tapping a session high at $1.3760 per lb.
"Guatemala's a small part" of the rally, said Judith Ganes-Chase of J. Ganes Consulting in New York.
"If you get one storm after the next, then you could say, maybe there's going to be a problem with the developing crop."
Central America is vulnerable to heavy rains because of its mountainous terrain, and poor communications in rural areas hamper rescue efforts. Hurricane Ida killed at least 150 people as it pounded through the region in November.
Guatemala has warned that flooding from Agatha could be worsened by ash from the Pacaya volcano blocking drains.
(Additional reporting by Daniel LeClair in Guatemala City, Marcy Nicholson in New York and Leslie Josephs in Mexico City; editing by Mohammad Zargham and Eric Beech)
World
Green Business
Add a Comment
*We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters.
© Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters
Editorial Editions:
Africa
Arabic
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Latin America
Mexico
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
United States
Reuters
Contact Us
Advertise With Us
Help
Journalism Handbook
Archive
Site Index
Video Index
Analyst Research
Mobile
Newsletters
RSS
Podcasts
Widgets
Your View
Labs
Thomson Reuters
Copyright
Disclaimer
Privacy
Professional Products
Professional Products Support
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Careers
Online Products
Acquisitions Monthly
Buyouts
Venture Capital Journal
International Financing Review
Project Finance International
PEhub.com
PE Week
FindLaw
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.
Other News on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 Three killed by World War II bomb in Germany
Israel deports flotilla activists after world outcry
|
Blasts, gunfire erupt as Afghan 'peace jirga' opens
Microsoft sticks up for Windows operating system
No inquests as beaten Federer eyes Wimbledon boost
France revamps business ties with Africa
Three blasts hit near Kabul jirga tent
Japan PM quits before election
|
Aerosmith Announce North American Leg Of "Cocked, Locked, Ready To Rock" Tour
BP says US oil disaster cost one billion dollars
Canada's privacy czar launches Google investigation
Dutch trial opens in Ivory Coast toxic waste case
Gunfire heard near Kabul jirga tent
Taliban attack launch of Karzai's Afghan peace bid
|
email gingerly growing more social
Robyn Announces North American Tour Dates
France vows to help Africa fight piracy, terrorism
Taliban claim attack on Afghan peace conference
World leaders demand probe into Israel raid
CitiFinancial To Cut 720 Jobs, Close Branches
Google Maps directions lead injured walker to court
European shares, euro slump as ECB warns over banks
Militants attack as Afghan peace conference starts
Al Gore, wife Tipper, to separate
Thai prime minister survives no-confidence motion
|
Inspector General Says Justice Department Has No Response Plan For WMD Attack
Euro slides to fresh four-year dollar low
Police: Suicide bomber near Afghan conference
Hewlett-Packard to cut 3,000 jobs
U.S. Markets Start June Lower As Energy Weighs
Building collapse kills nine in Bangladesh
|
Booze made me do it, Fergie says
Hundreds held in Israel after botched raid on flotilla
Gunfire heard near Afghan peace conference
Supreme Court Allows Torture Lawsuit Against Former Somali Leader
Afghan peace conference starts
China iPhone plant workers to get 30 percent raise
|
Russia intrigued after Putin's clash with rocker
Couple Destined To Be Together
Most Americans don't know home broadband speed: survey
Rocket lands near Afghan peace conference venue
Obama threatens court action over US oil spill
World's first iPad lookalike on sale in China
Suspects Must Say They Want To Remain Silent to Get Right, Supreme Court Says
South Koreans vote, with one eye on North Korea
|
Cancer deaths could double by 2030: study
Hewlett Packard To Cut 9,000 Jobs As It Invests $1 Billion In Enterprise Business
Taliban dismiss Afghan peace meet before it starts
N.Korea in warship sinking cyber campaign: Seoul official
Headache for Merkel as German president quits
Santos wins backing of Colombia's Conservatives
|
Foxconn protest disrupts Taiwan tech fair
30,000 quit Facebook in protest
Fallen bridges hamper Guatemala storm rescue
|
Europe stocks slump, euro hits new four-year low
Fort Hood Suspect's Hearing Postponed Until Fall
Spain vows labour market reform by end of June
Peacekeeping operations all-time high: think tank
Report: 16 killed in Bangladesh road accident
Minimum and maximum global temperatures in Celsius
Powers should consider Iran fuel offer: experts
|
Apple's Steve Jobs finds Foxconn deaths troubling
|
Artist Louise Bourgeois dies in New York
Google phases out Microsoft Windows use: report
|
Taiwan to test long range missile: report
Google sees Chrome OS release in late fall
|
Mystery as 'drunk' parrots litter Australian town
China iPhone plant workers to get 30 percent raise
|
At least 11 killed in Bangladesh building collapse: police
Canada probes Google on wireless data collection
|
'Tiananmen Mothers' demand China address crackdown
Nintendo to cut Japan prices of main DS models
|
Woman stabs nine in China train rampage: report
Thai PM survives no-confidence vote
Most U.S. broadband users don't know connection speeds
|
Filipino rebels, activists protest over Israel flotilla raid
15 dead in minibus accident in Philippines
Apple shares rally on strong iPad demand
|
US carrier to join S.Korea anti-submarine drill
S.Koreans go to polls as N.Korea looms large
Apple chief says Foxconn 'not a sweatshop'
China launches new resources tax in Xinjiang
Low-cost Nano car rolls out from new Indian plant
Honda's China parts plant resumes full operations
Taiwan's Foxconn boosts pay after worker suicides
Charlie Sheen to plead guilty over assaulting wife
Holiday filmgoers prefer 'Shrek' to 'Sex'
Honda says China factory back to work after strike
30.3 billion videos watched online in US in April: comScore
Indian PM predicts 8.5 percent economic growth
AC/DC find 'Highway to Hell' in Romania
Austria pays for books looted by Nazis from Jews
Indonesian is top Asian language on Facebook
Saudi cleric sues to block women teaching young boys: report
China agrees to lend Mongolia 500 million dollars
Can't buy love? Indonesia thinks foreign men should
Are moviegoers tiring of sequels?
|
China's manufacturing activity slows in May
Gaga reveals she would have opened for Michael Jackson
|
China, Japan launch Asian eBay rival
Saudi to probe MTV film on young that angered conservatives
Charlie Sheen faces short jail stint in plea deal
|
Oberoi urges film world not to skip Bollywood Oscars
S.African calls for W.Cup concert boycott
Paul McCartney to be feted at White House
|
Tai chi expert claims studio stole his 'Panda' idea
|
Paul Rudd to star in My Idiot Brother
|
Sarah Polley puts a Splice in Hollywood career
|
Religious leaders unite against planned Jesus cartoon
|
M.I.A. blasts New York Times writer in song
|
Titanic director Cameron brainstorms on oil spill
|
Vivendi's ex-boss on trial again for fraud
Google's Chrome computing system to debut in autumn
Militants attack as Afghan peace conference starts
German cabinet expands naked short selling ban
10 Indonesians freed by Israel; help for 2 sought
Latest Anglican peace bid meets with skepticism
|
Gunman kills five in northern England
|
Powerful Cyclone Phet barrels toward Oman
|
EU says it supports Balkan integration despite crisis
|
Spain's savings banks sowed seeds of own destruction
|
Iran court confirms jail, lashes for film maker
|
Egypt's Brotherhood loses vote bid
|
Russia says terrorists seeking nuclear materials
|
China still wants strong ties after Japan PM quits
Kyrgyzstan: no talks yet on new fuel deal with US
He's battle to save China's classic architecture
Japan's birth rate stays flat: survey
Australia plays down prison transfer for Rio's Hu
AT&T to end unlimited use mobile data plan
|
Target affirms Kindle rollout on Sunday
|
Steve Jobs champions Apple at D8 conference
Most U.S. broadband users don't know connection speeds
|
Nintendo slashes price of its DS consoles in Japan
Blagojevich Corruption Trial Set To Begin Thursday
Yen falls in Asia after Japan PM resigns
"The Hurt Locker" Producers Suing 5,000 Film File Sharers
Former Transit Cop Prepares To Go On Trial For Shooting Unarmed Man
FDA Approves New Osteoporosis Drug
Davis Loses Bid To Become Alabama's First Black Governor
Calcium In Vegetables May Up Prostate Cancer Risk
Honda says China factory back to work after strike
John Mayer Cancels European Tour After Falling Ill
Honda venture recalls over 32,000 cars in China
India seen as too protective of Sonia Gandhi's image
|
Sex sells at British box office
|
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights