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Article: EL SALVADOR: GOVERNMENT COMES UNDER FIRE FOR CONDITIONS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO DEVASTATION IN JANUARY EARTHQUAKE.
- Article from:
- NotiCen: Central American & Caribbean Affairs
- Article date:
- January 25, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Latin American Data Base/Latin American Institute. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The administration of President Francisco Flores is facing harsh criticism and the threat of lawsuits in the wake of the Jan. 13 tremor that caused extensive damage in the central and western portions of the country.
The latest estimate by emergency authorities sets the number of deaths at 700, but unofficial estimates indicate it could go much higher. The quake destroyed 185,000 houses causing US$1 billion in property damage. The estimated damage is equal to half of the government's annual budget.
The quake was particularly damaging to hillside coffee fields which slid down into villages burying hundreds of houses. Fifteen percent of the nation's ...