In volcano's wake, Guatemalan town became a cemetery
There was no time to eat. Sunday family lunches were interrupted, the food left on the table. Children abandoned toys, and clothes still hung on lines in backyards. Animals died petrified.
Guatemalan authorities reacted slowly to signs of the Fuego volcano's impending eruption on June 3, contributing to one of the most tragic natural disasters in recent Guatemalan history.
Banana leafs are covered with ash.
A house is covered with ash.
A dead cow is seen in an area affected by the eruption.
A hammock is covered with ash.
Clothes covered with ash hang on washing lines.
A car is sunk in ash.
A window of a house is covered with ash.
Kitchen shelves are covered with ash.
A refrigerator lies inside a kitchen of a house.
Onions are seen at a house.
A bathroom is covered with ash.
Toothbrushes are covered with ash.
A drum is covered with ash.
A bicycle is covered with ash.
A toy is covered with ash.
Wall decorations are covered with ash.
A shoe is covered with ash.
A radio is covered with ash.
Car radios are covered with ash.
Toys covered with ash lie on top of a roof of a house.
A window of a house is covered with ash.
Story
Many lost 10 to 50 relatives each, descendants of intertwining generations of a small families who settled in Los Lotes more than 40 years ago. They refuse to give up hope of finding relatives - or at least their remains.
"My entire family is missing," said Jose Ascon. The young man argued with police who had temporarily halted rescue efforts after more flows from the eruption.
"I would give my life to find my family."
