Hurricane Ida Kills 124 in El Salvador
Nearly 124 people have been reported killed by floods and mudslides in El Salvador after Hurricane Ida rammed into the central American nation, the government says the toll is likely to rise as scores of people are still missing.
Country’s interior minister Humberto Centeno, on Monday said: “There are 60 people missing in just the province of San Vicente … we have been through disaster zones, including a fly-over of Verapaz [in San Vicente], it is a real tragedy there.”
The capital city San Salvador was hit hardest, with 61 people reported dead after mudslides buried homes, say reports citing the Red Cross.
Rescue workers say most of the casualties occurred when victims were buried by mudslides or swept away by raging rivers.
Heavy rains have lashed El Salvador since Saturday night as the storm moved through the area, causing rivers to burst their banks and mudslides in the hilly interior to bury homes and roads.
Ida strengthened to a category two storm on Sunday as it made its way across the Gulf of Mexico, where it is expected to pick up steam moving over open waters.
Meanwhile, forecasters say Ida’s winds were near 100mph and could get stronger overnight.
