Mudslide kills dozens in Guatemala

Hundreds of rescue workers using shovels and pickaxes recovered four more bodies early Saturday in the wake of a hillside collapse above a group of homes on the outskirts of the Guatemalan capital. The death toll rose to 30 amid fears that hundreds more could still be buried in the rubble.

Rescue specialists from the Red Cross and fire and police departments used dogs to search for any possible survivors in the mudslide zone, where tons of earth fell over some 125 homes, authorities from the region estimate.

After suspending work Friday evening, search efforts resumed at dawn on Saturday, said Julio Sanchez, spokesman for Guatemala's volunteer firefighters. The four bodies were recovered in the early morning hours, he said. Family members have reported at least 100 people missing after the Thursday evening mudslide. The number of missing could be as high as 600 based on at least 100 homes in the area, said Alejandro Maldonado, executive secretary of Conred, Guatemala's emergency disaster agency. At least 36 other people have been reported injured. (AP)

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