Photo courtesy Fincas Verdes - Specialty Coffee and Nature
Volcanic Ash Covers Prime Guatemala Coffee Lands
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information comes available.
ANTIGUA, Guatemala
By Dan Bolton and Sherri Johns
Tuesday, June 5: The death toll from Sunday's volcanic explosion reached 75 with 192 missing as rescue teams continued to search for survivors under challenging circumstances.
CONRED, Guatemala's national disaster agency, reported the total, according to press reports.
Nations and relief agencies, including the Red Cross, are rushing help to the stricken region.
Wednesday, June 6: The death toll climbed to 75 following the eruption of Guatemala's volcano of fire Sunday another 192 are reported missing. The Fuego volcano spewed ash and sand over 12 mile area north and east of San Luca in Antigua forcing thousands of coffee growers to flee. On Wednesday additional, but less violent flows of lava began on the southern slopes of the mountain.
Rubens Gardelli, owner of Gardelli Specialty Coffees and a World Coffee roasting champion, writes on LinkedIN that the "loss within many extended families who had someone living in Alotenango is devastating. Coffee will grow again. The people we work with there are OK, but everyone knows an affected family."
Fire departments searching El Rodeo and La Rochela recovered several bodies that were burned beyond recognition.
Streets and houses were covered in the colonial capital following the Sunday eruption, the most violent in years. The initial eruption was followed by a pyroclastic flow that buried villagers and set fire to homes.
Updates on Twitter
Antigua, a city of 45,000 that was founded in 1524, is located 11 miles from the “volcano of fire,” one of the most active volcanos in South America. Lava flows are common but this time the mountain spewed millions of tons of ash and gasses that trapped and killed many in their homes near La Libertad. Witnesses said the victims died like those in ancient Pompei, Italy.
Coffee was introduced in the region in the 1850s. The area on the flanks of the volcano is an important producer of specialty coffee. It is one of eight regions designated by Anacafé national coffee association (Asociación Nacional del Café), which represents all coffee producers in Guatemala.
Anacafé reports that the areas most impacted include: Escuintla, Sacatepéquez, Chimaltenango, Guatemala and El Progreso. The heaviest ash fell within 12 miles of the peak. Growers in El Rodeo, Escuintla and Alotenango estimated ash covered up to 20% of the coffee trees.
The volcano closed major airports, roads and will impact an estimated 1.7 million people. It is too soon to evaluate the damage to coffee at this time.