Landslide Kills Six People In Guatemala, 12 Missing

Heavy rains in Guatemala's capital led to a landslide that swept away several houses on Monday morning into the river. The tragic incident killed six people and 12 others are missing including 10 minors.

Guatemala's National Disaster Reduction Coordinator disclosed on Monday that six people are dead including a five-year-old girl, who was recovered by firefighters. She was buried in debris and mud in the Naranjo River, AP News reported.

A 42-year-old Guatemala City resident named Esau Gonzalez said, "The river ... took homes, neighbors' belongings. Neighbours disappeared," explaining that they had to live in such a dangerous location as they didn't have a choice, Al Jazeera reported.

Gonzalez added that there are tens of thousands of people living in similar conditions. "We knew the risk, [but] we are here out of necessity," another resident named Marvin Cabrera said.

According to the Guatemalan Chamber of Construction and the ANACOVI builders' association, Guatemala's poverty rate is 59 percent and the country has a housing deficit of about 2 million units.

Due to low income, residents aren't able to construct a proper house for themselves and often build a house in locations that are often prone to natural disasters.

Following Monday's disaster, a 27-year-old resident named Iris Lopez said that she hoped the government would move them to a safer location. She further shared that her sister's rickety house was swept away by the landslide but thankfully, she wasn't home at that time.

"If she was here, she would have been taken by the river," Lopez said.

Ana Patzan, who is also a resident, said "I never imagined that the river would rise and take away my entire family. Now there is nothing left. None of them, they are all missing."

Guatemala's rainy season - from May to November - often brings the threat of landslides. So far, 29 people have died this year while 2.1 million people have been affected by the natural disaster. On top of that, over 10,000 homes have been destroyed alongside four roads and nine bridges.

State Governor Enrique Alfaro took to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday to share a series of photos showing the damage. Alongside the photos, Alfaro wrote that more than 107 officers from the three levels of Government have been deployed to rescue.

"The municipal DIF set up a shelter to serve those who need it," he added. "The call to the population remains the same: follow the instructions of @PCJalisco at all times, obtain information through official channels and, in the event of any emergency, call 9-1-1."