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Central American Storm Kills at Least 96


Guatemala is hardest hit by Tropical Storm Agatha with 80 dead

Floods and landslides triggered by the first tropical storm of the eastern Pacific hurricane season have killed at least 96 people in Central America.

Officials say more than 80 people have been killed in Guatemala alone, including four children swept away in a landslide.

Deaths have also been reported in El Salvador and Honduras. Mexico has also been hit by Tropical Storm Agatha.

More than 74,000 people in the region have been forced to flee their homes.

The storm pounded Central America and Mexico Saturday and Sunday. Agatha made landfall near the Guatemala-Mexico border Saturday with winds of 75 kilometers per hour.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami reports the storm is moving toward the western Caribbean Sea. Heavy rains continue over portions of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

Thousands of people in Guatemala had already been evacuated due to the eruption of the Pacaya volcano, which has killed at least one person. The volcano, just south of Guatemala City, began spewing lava and rocks Thursday. The eruptions have shut down the country's main airport.

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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