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| Guatemala earthquake: Dozens missing, says Perez Molina | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Dozens of Guatemalans are missing and up to 15 killed after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit off the Pacific coast, President Otto Perez Molina has said. | |
| He has declared a national alert and advised people to evacuate tall buildings as a precaution. | |
| Officials said landslides had buried roads and it would take 24 hours to restore links to the quake-hit area. | |
| Frightened people fled from offices and homes around the region, as buildings shook from Mexico City to San Salvador. | Frightened people fled from offices and homes around the region, as buildings shook from Mexico City to San Salvador. |
| Quake officials said the tremor hit at about 10:35 local time (1635 GMT) about 23km (15 miles) from the Guatemalan town of Champerico. | |
| Mr Perez Molina said so far three people had been confirmed dead. | |
| "Other preliminary information, which has not been confirmed, says the number of dead could rise to around 15 people," he said. | |
| He added that another 15 people were believed to be trapped under ground and about 100 people were missing. | |
| Other officials gave higher casualty figures. | |
| Aroldo Rivera, governor of San Marcos, the worst-affected region, was quoted as saying 29 people had been confirmed killed and 155 injured. | |
| Firefighters earlier said a school had collapsed in San Pedro Sacatepequez in San Marcos region. | |
| The firefighters later said at least eight people had been killed, though it was not clear if the deaths were related to the school collapse. | The firefighters later said at least eight people had been killed, though it was not clear if the deaths were related to the school collapse. |
| The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement there was no threat of a destructive widespread tsunami. | The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement there was no threat of a destructive widespread tsunami. |
| But it added: "Earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometres of the earthquake epicentre." | But it added: "Earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometres of the earthquake epicentre." |
| The region is often hit by quakes, which have periodically caused huge damage and many deaths. | The region is often hit by quakes, which have periodically caused huge damage and many deaths. |
| Are you in the region? Have you been affected by the earthquake? You can contact the BBC using the form below. | Are you in the region? Have you been affected by the earthquake? You can contact the BBC using the form below. |
| Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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