Monday, June 18, 2018

Guatemala: 110 Killed in Volcano Eruption, Search for Missing Ends

June 18, 2018 0:15 AM

VOA News

Volcanic rocks are spread around an area that got buried after the eruption of the Fuego volcano at San Miguel Los Lotes in Escuintla, Guatemala, June 6, 2018.

Guatemala has ended its search for the nearly 200 people missing since a volcano erupted earlier this month.

Officials have confirmed the deaths of 110 people in the eruption of the Fuego volcano.

The country's disaster agency CONRED said Sunday it has called off searches in San Miguel Los Lotes and El Rodeo because the area is "uninhabitable and high risk."

The volcano continues to generate four or five weak explosions an hour, sending a column of ash more than 1,000 meters into the air.

Disaster officials said the eruption Sunday affected more than 1 million people, with 3,265 evacuated from areas around the volcano.

Meanwhile, Guatemalan authorities have opened an investigation into whether emergency protocols were followed properly. Opposition politicians are accusing CONRED of being slow to order evacuations, leaving villagers vulnerable.

Fuego is located about 44 kilometers southwest of the capital, Guatemala City, and is close to the city of Antigua, which is a popular tourist destination.