Multiple earthquakes kill 2 people in Guatemala, cause landslides and evacuations

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A series of dozens of earthquakes were recorded in the span of hours in Guatemala, leaving two dead when rocks fell on their vehicle, authorities said. Landslides left several others buried.

More than 37 earthquakes and aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 3.0 to 5.6 were reported in Guatemala Tuesday afternoon, said Edwin Rodas, director of the National Institute for Seismology, Vulcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology.

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The tremors resulted in the evacuation of buildings, landslides, and minor property damage, officials said, adding they were felt as far away as El Salvador.

The two men killed were traveling in a pickup truck on a local road in the department of Escuintla when the rocks fell from a hillside onto the vehicle, firefighters said.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo said at a press conference Tuesday that the main epicentre of the quakes was in the department of Sacatepequez, with aftershocks in the regions of Escuintla and Guatemala department.

At least five people were buried by landslides, but emergency responders were able to rescue two, he added.

The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction declared an orange alert, the second-highest on the emergency scale.

The US Geological Survey reported a 4.8 magnitude earthquake at 3:11 p.m. local time, 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) southwest of the town of Amatitlan, south of Guatemala City, with a depth of 10 kilometres (6 miles). It then reported another 5.7 magnitude quake 3 kilometres (2 miles) northwest of San Vicente Pacaya, a municipality in Escuintla, in the south-central region of the country. Another 4.8 magnitude quake was reported 6 kilometres (4 miles) northwest of Palin, also in Escuintla.