Roads, bridges damaged by heavy floods across Honduras and Guatemala

Swathes of roads and bridges across Guatemala and Honduras have been damaged or destroyed by floods caused by heavy rain that has caused significant landslides and many rivers to burst their banks. 

Municipalities in 16 of Honduras' 18 departments have reported serious damage to infrastructure, according to the permanent contingency commission (Copeco), with the worst-hit departments being Cortés, Copán, Santa Bárbara and Francisco Morazán. 

The Ulúa River burst its banks in the Sula valley, affecting El Progreso municipality, whose mayor, Alexander López, called for dams to be built to contain future floods. 

“It is time to build the dams so the water can be a blessing for Honduras: the Llanitos and Jicatuyo dam, and El Tornillito dam for the Ulúa River, and the El Tablón dam for the Chamelecón River,” he was reported as saying by state-owned Canal 8. 

In Guatemala numerous highways and bridges have been damaged, including the road link connecting the country to El Salvador, which is used by around 100,000 vehicles per day. 

Over 40 deaths have already been reported in the country, and some 3.5mn people are said to have been affected, with many of them having to be evacuated from their homes.