Guatemala Volcano Consumes Entire Village: ‘No Survivors Left’
Volunteers and firefighters searched through layers of ash
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Rescue workers in Guatemala have been tirelessly searching for survivors within the dark and grey blanket of left after Guatemala's Fuego volcano erupted near the capital.
65 people have now been confirmed dead, and hundreds are missing.
Volunteers and firefighters searched through layers of ash that reach almost knee deep in places, only to find the remains of victims who had been buried alive in the burning rock and ash
"We saw bodies completely, absolutely buried, as you saw in Pompeii," stated Dr. Otto Mazariegos, president of the Association of Municipal and Departmental Firefighters, who added that the death toll was expected to rise, "Probably in the hundreds.".
Rescue workers have been unable to reach sites on the south side of the volcano due to a lack of gain access to.
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The speed of the volcano's circulations took many by surprise, with some dropping in the roadway to view the eruption, only to burglarize a sprint when they realized how quick the plumes were approaching.
Survivors returning to the town of San Miguel los Lotes on Monday found nothing but distruction, as the village was relied on debris by the force of the eruption.
"My mom is buried there," Inés López told a Guatemalan paper, Prensa Libre, standing amidst the wreckage of his house.
He was numb with grief.
"What can I do to cry? My heart is hard, hard. All our household is here, buried," he started waving his hand over the ruins. -NYT.
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Rescue crews brought bodies securely wrapped in dirty white sheets, while volunteer firefighters waded through knee-deep ash, to discover the charred remains of citizens who were not able to run away the hot rivers of molten lava that put down the slopes of the volcano.
As the day wore on, authorities were required to suspend some rescue operations because of the worry that the volcano may emerge once again.
The deep ravines on the volcano's slopes were currently filled with lava, Dr. Mazariegos said, and there was no other way to tell how a brand-new flow may spread.
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Published photos from early morning see to the disaster zone showed pictures of ordinary life frozen under a coat of gray dust. In one home, balloons and chairs were arranged for a child's birthday party. -NYT.
Over 3,000 people have been evacuated, and 1,689 discovered space in shelters in neighboring Escuintla and Alotenango, while 46 were taken to the hospital-- numerous with severe burns.
President Jimmy Morales declared three days of mourning before exploring shelters and the disaster area. A weeping lady, Eufemia García, approached his van as he left the buried village of El Rodeo and Morales went out to listen.
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"Mr. President, my family is missing out on ... Send a helicopter to drop water from above since it is burning there. I have three kids, a grandchild, all my bros and sis, my mom-- more than 20 are missing out on.".
Rescue crews carried bodies tightly wrapped in dirty white sheets, while volunteer firefighters learned knee-deep ash, only to find the charred remains of locals who were unable to get away the hot rivers of molten lava that poured down the slopes of the volcano.
As the day endured, authorities were required to suspend some rescue operations because of the worry that the volcano might erupt again.
The deep gorges on the volcano's slopes were currently filled with lava, Dr. Mazariegos stated, and there was no chance to tell how a brand-new flow may spread out.
I hope people in Guatemala stay safe.
— Cameron Grant (@coolghost101) June 4, 2018
#Guatemala #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/RdYcUPTSsR
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Published pictures from morning visits to the catastrophe zone showed images of normal life frozen under a coat of gray dust. In one house, balloons and chairs were arranged for a child's birthday celebration. -NYT.
Over 3,000 individuals have been evacuated, and 1,689 found area in shelters in neighboring Escuintla and Alotenango, while 46 were taken to the hospital-- many with severe burns.
President Jimmy Morales declared three days of grieving before touring shelters and the hot spot.
A weeping woman, Eufemia García, approached his van as he left the buried village of El Rodeo and Morales went out to listen.
The accumulation of energy inside the volcano generated an explosion that resulted in a second, lower crater forming together with the gushing Fuego basin.
The gush of molten lava extended a minimum of five miles long crushing bridges, roadways, and buildings in its path.
The lava reached record temperature levels of about 700C.
"Every time we take off a metal roof a big gush of steam increases out of the structure," rescue employee Juan Diego Alvarez informs the Guardian. "The ash is simply too hot for us to work." Nearby lie several sets of abandoned burnt boots, melted by the boiling ash.-- The Guardian.
The Volcano, situated less than 30 miles from Guatemala City, has been erupting given that 2002 according to the Global Volcanism Program.
It is a stratovolcano, like Mount St. Helens, with viscous lava that enables gas pressures to construct and leads to more explosive eruptions.
The intense activity started on Sunday morning, with a strong surge soon before midday. The volcano then continued to spew ash, rocks and gas into the air.
A second massive eruption followed at 6:45 p.m. and the activity finally went away after 16 1/2 hours, Guatemala's seismology and volcanology institute stated. -NYT.
The explosion was followed by pyroclastic circulations-- mixes of hot rock and gasses that flow down the volcano's sides at excellent speed, where their heats and "great mobility make them deadly to anything in their course."
Ash billowed more than a mile above the volcano's cone, distributing over a location of roughly 15 square miles, according to the volcanology institute.
"We heard a whoosh of the volcano, a sound we had not heard before, and strong vibrations," said science teacher Fernando Aragón, who lives close to the volcano outside the town of Alotenango.
"We could see individuals getting away the eruption on the road outdoors and the heavy machinery and rescue groups making their way up," Mr. Aragón included.
