Raging torrent of mud, rocks and tree trunks riped through a section of Verapaz, burying houses and cars.

The government officials announced that at least 91 people have been killed in El Salvador due to heavy rains caused by hurricane Ida.

Floods were caused and landslides occurred cutting off many areas from departments in the central American country. Worst hit areas are yet to receive help and rescue workers are still working hard to enter the areas.

Interior minister of the country Humberto Centeno, said at least 60 people were missing and around 7,000 were homeless and living in temporary camps. The hardest hit areas are the San Salvador the capital and San Vicente’s central region.

Humberto said “We have been through disaster zones, including a fly-over of the area of Verapaz (in San Vicente), it is a real tragedy there”.

A tide of mud, rocks and tree trunks were seen ripping through sections of Verapaz which buried houses and cars, the officials reported.

They said at least a dozen bodies were pulled out and kept covered in the sheets waiting for the bodies to be recognized. The authorities said that around 30 houses were carried in the overflowing rivers and in the torrents of mud and rocks.

The mayor Ana Jovel said that many people refused to be rescued as they “refused to leave their homes”. Al Jazeera reported that channel 6 journalist Marcela Mayen, said “The problem here is that there are many rivers across the whole country and these rivers are just overflowing affecting all those who live alongside them.

“The impact has been felt in about 60 per cent of the country”.

She also reported that the government is considering to declare a state wide ‘Red Alert’. News of deaths poured in as the storm gushed from the coast of the Mexican resort city of Cancun on the Yucatan peninsula.

Coastal shipping has been restricted and the government of Mexico has asked people to avoid unnecessary travel in the area. Forecasters have now predicted that the storm could move towards the US.

US National Hurricane center said “A hurricane watch is in effect from Grand Isle, Louisiana to the Mississippi/Alabama border. This watch does not include the city of New Orleans [Louisiana], a hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area … generally within 36 hours”.

some companies have been effected and energy companies have started to evacuate the area, but the oil and gas output has not been affected.

Ida was declared a hurricane by the forecasters as it went past the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua which brought heavy lashes and destroyed homes.

The storm had originally weakened in a tropical storm before it became a hurricane on Saturday with the speed of 145kph.