Latin America & Caribbean
Home
World
UK
England
N. Ireland
Scotland
Wales
Business
Politics
Health
Education
Sci/Environment
Technology
Entertainment & Arts
Africa
Asia
Australia
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
US & Canada
8 November 2012
Last updated at
09:34
In pictures: Guatemala earthquake
At least 48 people died after a strong earthquake struck off the Pacific coast of Guatemala.
The worst affected region was San Marcos, near the border with Mexico.
Some buildings crumbled when the 7.4-magnitude quake struck on Wednesday morning. The tremor was felt hundreds of kilometres away in Mexico and El Salvador.
Dozens of people were also injured by the quake which struck a mountainous region of Guatemala.
Hundreds of rescuers rushed to a sand quarry where seven people were feared buried, including a six-year-old boy. By night-time, his body and that of another victim had been found.
Many roads in the region became impassable.
The authorities advised people to leave tall or crowded buildings and take precautions given the risk of aftershocks.
Rescue efforts continued throughout Wednesday night to locate people trapped amid the debris and recover bodies.
It was an anxious night for local people as they waited for news of injured or missing loved ones, as aftershocks continued to rumble. The government has declared three days of national mourning.
Share this page
Delicious
Digg
Facebook
reddit
StumbleUpon
Twitter
Email
Print
Services
Mobile
Connected TV
News feeds
Alerts
E-mail news
About BBC News
Editors' blog
BBC College of Journalism
News sources
Editorial Guidelines