GUATEMALA: Guatemalans in the village of San Cristobal Cucho hold a mass funeral for victims of a powerful 7.4 earthquake

Record ID: 702480

  • Title: GUATEMALA: Guatemalans in the village of San Cristobal Cucho hold a mass funeral for victims of a powerful 7.4 earthquake
  • Date: 9th November 2012
  • Summary: SAN CRISTOBAL CUCHO, SAN MARCOS, GUATEMALA (NOVEMBER 09, 2012) (REUTERS) COFFINS CARRIED BY LOCALS THROUGH VILLAGE
  • Embargoed: 24th November 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Guatemala
  • Country: Guatemala
  • Topics: Disasters,People
  • Reuters ID: LVANWDV3QYYR1A09YJZ5WN7Z1BU
  • Story Text: The Guatemalan village of San Cristobal Cucho began burying its dead on Friday (November 09) after a 7.4 earthquake struck the area earlier this week and killed many residents under debris.
    More than 1,000 people, including the mayor, walked behind pall bears who carried the deceased through the rural village as distraught relatives mourned openly for their lost loved ones.
    Pastor Artemio Oliverio told Reuters the tragedy has devastated the local community.
    "This tragedy is painful for people. Throughout the community, they don't have the energy to go out to work, not just because of the earthquake but also the tragedy that happened. People are very distraught, the whole town, for everything that had happened," he said.
    Officials estimate that at least 52 people have been killed and many others are missing.
    In the close-knit village, many residents turned to God after losing family members.
    "The people of San Cristobal Cucho feel the most pain, like a family with a tender heart that no longer has the words to express ourselves. But we have hope in God that he takes this entire family in his grace to give them the necessary peace," said villager Carmen Rubelina Maldonado.
    The strong quake, also felt in El Salvador and as far away as Mexico City, struck off Guatemala's Pacific coast, 15 miles (24 km) south of Champerico, Guatemala, and 101 miles (163 km) west-southwest of the capital, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
    The quake was the strongest to hit Guatemala since a 7.5 magnitude quake in 1976 claimed more than 20,000 lives.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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