Volcano death toll rises to 121 - Official

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July 18, 2018 6:43 PM

The death toll from the violent eruption of Guatemalas Fuego volcano on June 3 has risen to 121, after the identification of five cadavers recovered from the devastated zone, a forensics institute said Wednesday.

The five bodies were those of young people aged two months to 19 years, said the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF). Two had been on the list of the missing.

The victims were identified in a temporary morgue in the southern city of Escuintla, where forensic specialists are still working to attach names to dozens of human remains recovered by local residents from an area devastated by a fiery flow of volcanic rubble.

The Fuego volcano, which is located 35 kilometers (22 miles) southwest of the capital, exploded on June 3 in a powerful eruption, sending rocks, ash and toxic gases down on the town of San Miguel Los Lotes and nearby villages, burying many homes and buildings.

More than 2,900 displaced people are continuing to shelter in 15 schools and community halls, waiting for transfer first to temporary wooden houses and then to more permanent housing in Escuintla.

A report from the government and the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean estimated the damage inflicted by the catastrophic eruption at $219 million.

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