Landslide in Oaxaca, Mexico Buries Hundreds

AP Photo/Luis Benavides

A landslide caused by the recent deluge of rain in the Mexican state of Oaxaca left three hundred homes buried this Tuesday morning. Hundreds of people are missing and thousands are now homeless.

The town of Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec was buried by the landslide. Mayor Palemon Vargas Hernandez told a local radio program that 8,000 of the town's 10,000 residents were impacted. Survivors are sticking together in the center of the town and seeking shelter while they continue to wait for assistance.

"We haven't reached the location yet," Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz told the Televisa TV network. "There has been lots of rain, rivers have overflowed and we're having a hard time reaching the area because there are landslides on the roads."

President Felipe Calderon is expected to visit the area at some point on Tuesday.

"We are sending machinery. There are soldiers from the Mexican army, the navy, state police, ambulances, health personnel and rescue workers," Ruiz said. "We hope to get there in time to rescue some of the people who have been buried."


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