Death toll from hurricane Ida reaches 175 in El Salvador

Residents look at destroyed buildings, after heavy rains brought on by Hurricane Ida, in the village of Verapaz, near San Salvador November 9, 2009.

SAN SALVADOR, Nov. 10 -- Strong rains brought over by hurricane Ida have killed 175 people in El Salvador, the Civil Protection office said on Tuesday.

Apart from the confirmed 175 deaths, 60 others remain missing, said Civil Protection director Jorge Melendez, adding that a total of 10,348 people are in temporary shelters.

Most of the victims were children and landslides had been the major cause of the deaths, according to authorities.

Many nations and regional and world groups, including Cuba, Guatemala, Japan, Panama and Venezuela as well as the European Union and the United Nations have offered humanitarian aid to the country.

Residents walk past a damaged vehicle after heavy rains brought on by Hurricane Ida, in the village of Verapaz, near San Salvador, November 9, 2009.

On Monday, the Guatemalan government sent 100 troops, firemen, and technicians to join the on-going rescue efforts in El Salvador.

The Group of Rio, which brings together 23 Latin American and Caribbean nations, expressed solidarity with El Salvador, said a Tuesday statement by the Foreign Ministry of Mexico, which takes the rotating presidency of the group.

The group "sends its most sincere condolences to the victims' families and wishes for a prompt return to normality in the regions affected," the statement said.

Ida downgraded to a tropical depression on Tuesday after crossing the Gulf of Mexico and coming onshore in the U.S. state of Alabama.
(Reuters)