Fresh Landslides Halt Search in Guatemalan Hamlet Buried in Mud

Soldiers work at an area hit by a mudslide, caused by heavy rains brought by Storm Eta, as the search for victims continue in the buried village of Queja, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala Nov. 7, 2020. Esteban Bilba/EFE/Pool via Reuters

SAN CRISTOBAL VERAPAZ, Guatemala—Fresh landslides have halted Guatemalan rescue workers’ efforts to dig through mud as deep as 50 feet to reach houses swamped by a devastating storm that has killed dozens of people across Central America and southern Mexico.

Storm Eta’s torrential downpours toppled trees, engorged swift-moving rivers, and ripped down parts of a mountainside above the village of Queja in the central Guatemalan region of Alta Verapaz, burying dozens of people in their homes.