At least 124 people have died and dozens are missing after heavy rains triggered flooding and mudslides that buried communities and left a swath of destruction in El Salvador, officials said. President Mauricio Funes declared a national emergency and described the loss as incalculable. About 7,000 people lost homes in the disaster on Sunday, officials were quoted as saying by The Associated Press. Authorities said the death toll is expected to rise as rescuers scramble to reach regions where roads have been washed away. In some of the hardest-hit areas, such as the capital, San Salvador, roads are completely gone, said Laura Mata of World Vision.
