2 children swept away in rain-swollen gully in El Salvador

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — Two children drowned in eastern El Salvador after being swept away in a rain-swollen gully on their way home from school.

El Salvador’s Civil Defense agency said a third child was rescued and taken to a hospital for medical attention. Residents of the area eventually recovered the two victims’ bodies Tuesday night.

The children were from the El Jicaro community in Sociedad, about 42 miles (69 kilometers) northeast of the capital.

Heavy rains have inundated parts of the country making roads impassable and triggering landslides. Last week, seven people were killed in two landslides on the outskirts of the capital.

Early Wednesday, there were reports of several highways blocked by fallen trees and rocks. Civil Defense did not report any victims, but worked to clear the blockages.