Guatemala earthquakes leave three dead

Four quakes ranging in magnitude up to 5.8 hit south of country, bringing down houses and triggering landslides Four earthquakes have struck southern Guatemala within two and a half hours, shaking buildings in the capital and killing three people. President Alvaro Colom called for calm after tremors were felt across much of the Central American country, the largest a 5.8 magnitude quake. All were centred in an area about 30 miles (51km) south-east of the capital, Guatemala City, according to the US Geological Survey. “There is no reason to think there will be anything bigger,” Colom said at a news conference. He said all rescue forces and government agencies had been activated to deal with the aftermath. The quakes struck near Guatemala’s south-western coast in the sugar cane growing region around Santa Rosa, forcing the evacuation of about 400 people and cutting electricity and telephone services, emergency services said. One woman was killed when her house collapsed in the town of Cuilapa, near the epicentre of the quakes, and two others died after their cars were buried in a landslide on the highway. “In Chiquimulilla there’s a landslide … where vehicles fell in and were buried. There are material damages to the vehicles and two fatalities reported so far,” said volunteer fire brigade spokesman Mario Morales. Thirteen people were taken to hospital and classes were cancelled in the Santa Rosa region, but emergency services said they did not expect further severe aftershocks. “It’s unlikely that there will be any more events bigger than what we have already experienced,” said Alejandro Maldonado, head of the country’s disaster co-ordination agency. “The situation is completely under control.” USGS geophysicist Rafael Abreu said all four quakes were connected to the same fault running through the area. Guatemala Natural disasters and extreme weather guardian.co.uk

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