MEXICO CITY, June 18 (Xinhua) — Eight people have died and five others have been injured so far during the rainy season in Guatemala, authorities said on Tuesday.
According to the National Coordination for Disaster Reduction, the rains have affected 1,910,493 people, displaced 1,789, and put another 1,164 at risk. Approximately 1,800 homes have suffered damage.
Of the dead, three occurred in Jutiapa, two in Quiche, and one each in Suchitepequez, San Marcos, and Guatemala.
The heavy rains in recent days in Guatemala and a considerable part of Central America are due to the usual monsoonal rotation that occurs every winter (rainy season) in the region, causing heavy precipitation between May and October, according to Guatemala’s National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology, and Hydrology.
The Central American region is also under the influence of a low-pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico that could develop into a cyclone in the next 48 hours, according to meteorological forecasts.
