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| Charlene Curtiss (206.180.153.156.adsl.hal-pc.org - 206.180.153.156)
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Re:The Guatemala volunteers in training: My Houston Chronicle says food is getting scarce and roads are out due to hurricane Stan and yesterday's earthquake. My daughters group was traveling the country visiting other volunteers and got stranded at a hotel of sorts in Quetzeltanango. I am unable to get the Peace Corps update on any help the group may be getting. My daughter's last email said 2 volunteers were unaccounted for and she is sick and should probably see a doctor. Where do the volunteers get help in times like this so they can again help others? | |||||||||||||||||
| Admin1 (admin) (pool-141-157-66-59.balt.east.verizon.net - 141.157.66.59)
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Almost 260 people have died in floods, mudslides, volcanic activity and earthquakes which have rocked a wide area of Mexico, Central and South America over the past five days  To get up to date information on any Country of Service call Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington at 1-800-424-8580 and ask to speak to the duty officer and tell them you have a question regarding the safety and security of a peace corps volunteer. Tell the duty officer the name of the volunteer and country of service of the volunteer you are calling about, tell them who you are and what your relation is to the volunteer. If you find out anything you think would be of interest to other parents, leave a message here after your conversation describing what the duty officer told you could be shared publicly with other parents. Almost 260 people have died in floods, mudslides, volcanic activity and earthquakes which have rocked a wide area of Mexico, Central and South America over the past five days Mudslides, floods kill 258 October 9, 2005 The Sun-Herald Caption:A boy looks at a river that burst its banks, damaging houses and dragging a truck away, in Chimaltenango, Guatemala October 6, 2005. More than 200 people have now died in floods and mudslides in Central America and southern Mexico in the last few days in the wake of Hurricane Stan. REUTERS/Carlos Duarte Almost 260 people have died in floods, mudslides, volcanic activity and earthquakes which have rocked a wide area of Mexico, Central and South America over the past five days. An avalanche of mud and water killed at least 26 people and left 30 missing when a river broke its banks and washed away mountainside homes near the Colombian town of Bello, authorities said yesterday. Rescue workers were trying to find survivors and bodies in the mud-choked wreckage of 15 homes, said the town mayor's office. The dead from yesterday's mudslide included an unspecified number of children. At least 20 people were injured. Survivors, some clutching small children, wept in a nearby schoolhouse used as an emergency hostel where they gathered with their few remaining possessions. "The river water carried stones and trunks of wood," said local Roman Catholic priest Adan Gasior. "The high ground was shaking and people were terrified. It's a tragedy and we have to pray to God for the dead and the disappeared." Mudslides in Colombia are a regular occurrence at this time of year, when the wet season brings heavy rains with often fatal results for shanty homes built on sloping ground. Rescue efforts in the neighbouring countries of El Salvador and Guatemala were hampered by a moderate earthquake which was felt in both countries yesterday. The earthquake caused the collapse of a highway bridge in Guatemala and sent thousands of frightened El Salvadoran residents into the streets. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries from the quake, which had a preliminary magnitude of 5.8. The quake also forced officials to suspend their search for two coffee workers missing since last Saturday when the Ilamatepec volcano erupted about 60 kilometres west of San Salvador. The natural disaster has affected seven countries, including Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua. The death toll throughout Central America from flooding and landslides in the wake of Hurricane Stan has reached 258, although more bodies are expected to be found. When this story was posted in September 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:  Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder. Story Source: Sydney Morning Herald This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Guatemala; COS - El Salvador; COS - Honduras; COS - Costa Rica; COS - Nicaragua; COS - Colombia; Disaster Recovery; Safety and Security of Volunteers; Hurricane Relief PCOL22551 80 |
