Guatemala

Thousands flee as Guatemala's Fuego volcano erupts

The stratovolcano southwest of the city of Antigua began erupting on Sunday, with ash and lava spewing from its crater.

It comes five months after almost 200 people were buried by volcanic ash and mud during a violent eruption in June. That eruption generated pyroclastic flows - fast-moving mixtures of very hot gas and volcanic matter - which descended down the slopes, engulfing communities such as El Rodeo and San Miguel Los Lotes.

Volcanologists say lava is rising 500m above the volcano's crater.

Guatemala mourns after children's home fire kills 21 girls

Wednesday's blaze at the government-run Virgen de Asuncion shelter in San Jose Pinula, near Guatemala City, has focused attention on how it was run.

Police say some residents set fire to mattresses after a riot and an escape attempt.

There have been allegations of abuse at the overcrowded centre.

At least 40 other people suffered burns in the fire, and some remain in critical condition.

President Jimmy Morales declared the country to be in official mourning. His office said the cause of the fire was being investigated.

Guatemala declares mudslide-hit community uninhabitable

Rotman Perez, secretary of criminal policy at the Public Ministry, said officials will seek to find out which officials gave authorization for the construction and determine their degree of responsibility.

Meanwhile, officials were weighing what to do with the site of the acres-wide mudslide believed to hold hundreds of bodies, as well as a surrounding area of largely untouched homes declared uninhabitable.

5 Guatemalan soldiers detained following abuse video

Police spokeswoman Julia Barrera says the soldiers were detained Thursday on charges that included mistreatment of minors.

The army filed a complaint about the incident after the video surfaced. In the video, uniformed soldiers with rifles punch, slap, kick and knee two boys against a wall.

The incident occurred July 26 in the township of San Pedro Yepocapa in the department of Chimaltenango about 55 miles (88 kilometers) northwest of the capital.