Floods, mudslides kill 91 in El Salvador

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- At least 91 people have died and thousands were evacuated due to heavy rain, flooding and mudslides in El Salvador, authorities said.

The Salvadoran newspaper, El Diario de Hoy, said Sunday the highest casualty count was in San Vicente, where at least 24 people were killed and an undetermined number of homes were crushed in an avalanche following three days of rain produced by "a disturbed weather area" off the Pacific coast of El Salvador, an impoverished nation of about 7 million people.

The Commandos Rescue relief group said 50 more people were missing in the areas of Ilopango, San Martin, San Jose Guayabal and San Vicente.

Directorate for Civil Protection authorities said overflowing rivers have destroyed bridges.

Authorities said the death toll could rise, as rescuers had yet to reach hard-hit areas cut off by flooding and mudslides, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The National Weather Service in Miami said the rain was not associated with Hurricane Ida, a Category 2 storm that brushed past the region when it was still rated a tropical storm.