Officials have confirmed the deaths of 110 people as a result of the volcanic eruption on June 3, but another 197 people remain unaccounted for. A spokesman for the government’s civil protection agency, David de Leon, said the agencies involved decided to end the search “due to the fact that the area is uninhabitable and of high risk.”
The volcano, which is located 35 kilometers (about 22 miles) southwest of the capital, is still generating four or five weak explosions an hour, sending a column of gray ash more than 3,000 feet (1,000 meters) into the sky. Additionally, rains were forecast for Sunday, posing a danger of volcanic mudflows.
More than 3,600 villagers have been forced to take temporary refuge in schools and community halls. The suspended search had been focused on the hardest-hit communities of San Miguel Los Lotes and El Recreo. The only exception to the suspension is in the area of Alotenango, where volunteer firefighters continued to search for two comrades who went missing on the day of the disaster.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
