JAYAQUE EN LA EMERGENCIA

The situation of emergency that exists in this country is more than impressive. This is illustrated by the scenes captured in the photographs from across the length and breadth of the country. We present some samples of these.

The area around Jayaque has seen serious damage in the last 24 hours, only in the highway that ascends Bálsamo hill they have reporte 18 large landslides that have left the sector without communication. The landslides of mud and trees have fallen over the highway, blocking passage. In addition, the strong intermittent rains that occurred in the most recent hours, caused an avalanche that swept damage across 30 dwellings, the church and the local school in the village of Las Graditas in the Las Minas sector, in the jurisdiction of Jayaque. Fortunately, the people already had been evacuated at earlier hours of the night and early morning, and while the river Talnique overflowed, there was no reported loss of human life. Other affected communities are: Ojo de Agua, Llano Verde, Minas Arriba, La Garita, Curazao, and La Minas. Other communities have also been evacuated as a preventative measure.

Now there are several shelters, as many in the city of Jayaque es in the outskirts. At the Curazao School a shelter is functioning with the people of the outlying areas, which has totally collapsed with 300 families. Through mid-day, the people still had no help.

For the moment, there is no access to Jayaque. First for the collapse of the Ateos bridge, the path from San Salvador driving to Sonsonate, which was destroyed, under the current of the Talnique River. Second, due to the flooding and landslides in the mountains that have cut the street. In addition, there are other menaces. The gulch found on the alternate path, up the turn off to Los Sitios and the El Tránsito farm, has overflowed  from time to time, and may reach the bridge, causing additional damage.

It had been identified that the infrastructure of Lutheran churches in the area might serve as gathering or refugee centers, but due to the damages caused by the saturation of the earth with water, it was not possible, and as many walls as floors are full of water.

According to official data from the evening of October 16, 2011, at a national level, there have been 32 deaths; 20,000 victims, 261 shelters, 576 landslides, 16 breaks in the highways, and more than 150,000 people at risk, in more than six days’ time.

Traducción, cortesía del hermano Rip.