According to an official report, two children and four adults were found killed after heavy rains swept through the Guatemalan capital.

The Conred disaster relief agency said that thirteen people, including eight children, were still missing after the river ripped through the Dios es Fiel (God is Faithful) informal settlement in the early morning hours.

PHOTO | COURTESY rescue worker carrying a child


Hundreds of firefighters, police officers, military, and volunteers helped in the rescue. According to Conred spokesman Rodolfo Garcia, the Naranjo River washed away six homes, mostly made of zinc sheets, under a bridge in the heart of Guatemala City.

Hundreds of needy people of the capital built their dwellings on the river's banks despite multiple warnings from the authorities against building that close to the river.

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Following heavy rains on Sunday, water carrying stones, soil, and human waste poured through the community, leaving mostly rubbish in its wake, according to an AFP correspondent.

PHOTO | COURTESY rescue worker with a rescue dog
Tens of thousands of Guatemala's 17.7 million people rely on unstable housing in often dangerous circumstances like this one in a country with a poverty rate of 59%.

According to the Guatemalan Chamber of Construction and the ANACOVI builders' group, the country has a housing deficit of roughly two million units.

Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei expressed "deep concern and solidarity with the affected families" in a social media message.