Beneath the mud and rock that engulfed the small Guatemalan town of Santa Catarina Pinula last week, search crews have found entire families who died huddled together after they were buried alive.
At least 152 people were killed in Thursday's disaster just outside Guatemala City, government officials said on Monday evening, and emergency services chief Alejandro Maldonado said at least 300 people were still unaccounted for.
The Guatemalan Red Cross made an appeal on Twitter for dry ice at its provisional morgue in the town.
The mud that swallowed the El Cambray II neighbourhood in Santa Catarina Pinula, which lies at the bottom of a deep ravine, is so deep that rescue workers are descending 39 feet (12 meters) through narrow shafts to reach the roofs of homes.
"We've found entire families," said Sergio Cabanas, an official at disaster agency Conred. "We found almost all of them huddled together, which means that they were going to try and evacuate but sadly they didn't have time."
"Some died from the impact, some from asphyxiation and some ... from heart attacks," he added.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by the precarious situation at the site, said Cabanas. There were two smaller landslides on Monday. A nearby river has risen by over 3 feet (one metre), and rescue workers fear for the stability of the hillside where the landslide began.
So far, no survivors have been found at the site, and rescue workers say the chances of finding anyone alive under the 120,000 tonnes of earth that buried the area are close to zero.
But search teams vowed to keep up the search.
"Our determination to continue is firm. We're not going to stop until we finish the job. The objective is that nobody is left buried at the site," Maldonado told a press conference.
Guatemala's government, which is in disarray after former President Otto Perez was forced to resign and was arrested on corruption charges last month, declared three days of mourning for those lost in the landslide.
It has vowed to relocate those still living in risky areas nearby to avoid a repeat disaster.
Reuters
Tue Oct 06 2015
Relatives cover the bodies of Jason and Marielos Sanchez Mendez, the victims of a mudslide, with a flag, during a memoral in Santa Catarina Pinula, on the outskirts of Guatemala City, October 5, 2015. - REUTERS/Jose Cabezas
Motorcycling - Marquez wins Australian MotoGP after intense battle with Martin
The 31-year-old, third in the championship standings, has now won the Australian MotoGP four times in the premier class.
Prabowo takes up Indonesian presidency, vows to tackle corruption, other issues
Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto on Sunday took over as president of the world's third-largest democracy, vowing to combat internal issues
Nepal's Sherpas deserve more, says teenager who scaled world's 14 tallest peaks
Sherpas are known for climbing skills that make them the backbone of mountain expeditions.
Inside the underground lab in China tasked with solving a physics mystery
China will soon collect neutrino data, aiming to unravel one of particle physics' biggest mysteries.
Millions in Cuba still without power as major outage persists
Millions of Cubans remain without electricity because of a prolonged outage at the main power plants on the island, Anadolu Agency reported.
Surge in Gaza violence increases famine risk, monitor says
About 1.84 million people across the besieged Palestinian enclave are living through high levels of acute food insecurity.
Israel pounds Beirut and Gaza after rockets hit Israel's north
A drone was launched at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's holiday home.
Elon Musk promises to award $1 mil each day to a signer of his petition
He awarded a $1 million check to an attendee of his event in Pennsylvania aimed at rallying supporters behind Donald Trump.
Former special forces commander Prabowo to take up Indonesian presidency
Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto will take over as president of the world's third-largest democracy after sweeping the country's election with policies like free meals for school children
Father of Malaysian Islamic banking, Abdul Halim Ismail passes away
His dedication and pioneering spirit played an important role in shaping the journey of Bank Islam as well as leaving a lasting impact on the development of Malaysia's Islamic finance industry.
Zayn Malik postpones US tour dates after One Direction bandmate Liam Payne's death
Payne, 31, died on Wednesday after falling from a third-floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires, shocking fans of the boy band.
Why voters in a handful of swing states will decide the US presidential election
The contest will almost certainly be decided by just tens of thousands of voters a tiny fraction of the populace in a handful of states.
INSIGHT - Sudan's war risks 'lost generation' of children
A devastating crisis is unfolding in Sudan, where the most vulnerable members of society children are bearing the brunt of the violence.
Who is Prabowo Subianto, incoming president of Indonesia?
A wealthy ex-general with ties to Indonesia's popular outgoing president and its dictatorial past, looks set to be its next leader.
Trump says he would impose tariffs on China if China went into Taiwan
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he would impose additional tariffs on China if China were to "go into Taiwan,"
Iran's supreme leader says Hamas leader's death will not halt 'Axis of Resistance'
The "Axis of Resistance", built up with years of Iranian support, includes Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shi'ite groups in Iraq and Syria.
Putin says Russia willing to seek compromises between Iran and Israel
Russia is ready to help seek compromises between arch-foes Israel and Iran, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, saying these would be difficult but possible.
What proposals will Russia push at the BRICS summit?
The proposal is also to establish a BRICS reinsurance company to allow uninterrupted shipment of goods and key commodities between members.
Indonesia's free meals plan in the spotlight as Prabowo readies for office
Prabowo calls the programme one of the main drivers of economic growth, eventually set to add an estimated 2.5 million jobs.
Astro AWANI's revamped English news website, AWANI International, launches on Oct 21
Astro AWANI's revamped English platform delivers in-depth global news and expert analysis to keep you informed on key developments.