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Search for volcano survivors suspended due to dangerous conditions

Residents urged to stay away as death toll from Guatemala Fuego disaster reaches 100

A Guatemalan father and son say they drove towards Fuego 13 times to help people get down to safer zones after the volcano exploded on June 3rd in its most devastating eruption in more than four decades. Video: Adrian Larios/Reuters
Thu Jun 07 2018 - 19:34

The search for survivors from deadly eruptions of Guatemala’s Fuego volcano was temporarily suspended on Thursday due to dangerous conditions for rescue workers, as the death toll from the disaster reached 100, authorities said.

Residents should stay away from the still-dangerous area, said David de Leon, a spokesman for national disaster management agency Conred.

The toll of dead from a series of eruptions that began on Sunday has been gradually rising and now stands at 100, police said.

Cows lie dead amid steam rising from the hot volcanic ash following a light rain, near the Volcan de Fuego in the El Rodeo hamlet of Escuintla, Guatemala. Photograph: Rodrigo Abd/AP
Cows lie dead amid steam rising from the hot volcanic ash following a light rain, near the Volcan de Fuego in the El Rodeo hamlet of Escuintla, Guatemala. Photograph: Rodrigo Abd/AP

Rescue teams have been searching frantically for survivors and victims in the lava-ravaged landscape. The violent eruptions showered volcanic ash over nearby towns and spewed pyroclastic flows throughout the area.

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The US government expressed its “deepest condolences” to the victims on Thursday and said it was sending emergency aid at Guatemala’s request, including an unspecified amount of financial resources to help meet food, water, and sanitation needs.

The White House said in a statement that it was also dispatching aircraft to transport burn victims for treatment in Florida.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) raised concerns about the economic cost of the disaster in the poor Central American country.

"We should not underestimate the scale of this disaster. Critical, emergency needs are still enormous, and affected communities will need sustained and long-term support," IFRC president Francesco Rocca said in a statement on Thursday.

Mr Rocca noted that ash had fallen across more than half of Guatemala, covering areas where agriculture is crucial. "We hope it will not mean a secondary disaster," he said.

The IFRC has pledged more than 250,000 Swiss francs (€216,000) to support rescue efforts, and said those worst hit would need at least a year to recover.

The suspension of rescue efforts around the volcano may be lifted if conditions on the ground improve, Conred said.

Fuego, or "Fire" in Spanish, lies about 40km southwest of the capital, Guatemala City, near the picturesque colonial city of Antigua, a Unesco world heritage site.

The 3,763m peak is one of several active volcanoes among 34 in Guatemala. – Reuters