Saturday 3 October 2015

Hundreds feared dean after landslide in Guatemala.

Twenty-six people have been confirmed dean and another thirty-six people are known to have been injured following a landslide which struck the town of Santa Catarina Pinula in southern Guatemala late on Thursday 1 October 2015, burring around 150 homes. However it is thought that around 600 further people are missing following the event, as rescue attempts had to be abandoned on Friday 2 October and the area evacuated due to ongoing heavy rainfall which was further destabilizing the hillside.

Rescue attempts at Santa Catarina Pinula in Guatemala on Friday 2 October 2015. Esteban Biba/EPA.

The incident happened following several days of heavy rainfall. Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall. Guatemala has a rainy season which lasts from May to October, with peak rainfall falling in September, when the monthly rainfall typically exceeds 400 mm.


The approximate location of the 1 October 2015 Santa Catarina Pinula landslide. Google Maps.



See also...

Landslide kills at least 78 people in Antioquia Department, Colombia.
At least 78 people have died after a landslide hit the village of La Liboriana in  Antioquia Province, Colombia on Monday 18 May...


Five workers still missing following landslide at Nicaraguan gold mine.
Twenty three miners have been rescued after a landslide trapped them underground at the Bonanza Mine in Northern Nicaragua on...


Miners trapped by Honduran landslide.
Eleven miners have been trapped by a landslide at San Juan Arriba in Choluteca Department in southern Honduras. The incident occurred on Wednesday 2 July 2013, blocking the entrance to the small gold...


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