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Earthquake toll climbs
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Weary rescuers battled blocked roads and landslides to hunt for survivors Sunday while others prayed for the dead after an earthquake that killed more than 200 people.
Body-hunting dogs, sent in from the United States and Mexico, roamed across the ruins of the Las Colinas neighborhood of Santa Tecla just west of the capital, buried by a landslide when the 7.6-magnitude quake hit late Saturday morning.
Centered off El Salvador's southern coast, the temblor was felt from northern Panama to central Mexico — a distance of more than 1,100 miles.
“The situation is grave," said Mauricio Ferrer, chief of the National Emergency Committee. The nation's main airport was closed and hundreds of roads were blocked by landslides, slowing relief.
Pope John Paul II on Sunday urged international assistance for the victims.
Mexico was first to send substantial help, with three planeloads. The United States was quick behind, with rescue crews and supplies. Offers of assistance came from Spain, Panama, even Guatemala, which itself suffered damage — and two deaths — in the Saturday quake.
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