Rescue workers have pulled 20 more bodies from a landslide outside the Guatemalan capital, bringing the number of confirmed dead to 191.
"The latest toll of victims is 191," said Julio Sanchez, a spokesman for the firefighters and other rescue personnel working at the site on the outskirts of Guatemala City.
Authorities said on Wednesday (local time) about 150 people still have not been accounted for, as they searched for more bodies at the disaster site in the village of Cambray II.
A growing stench from decomposing bodies has filled the air at the scene of the tragedy, requiring workers to wear face masks as they continue their grim recovery efforts.
The village - in a section of the town of Santa Catarina Pinula, some 15 kilometres east of the capital - was buried by a mountain of mud and debris following heavy rains last week.
Rescuers say it will be nothing short of a miracle if anyone is now found alive, as they continue their search for more bodies, aided by specially-trained dogs.
Officials say they also have opened an investigation to determine who or what might have been responsible for the disaster.
AFP
