MEXICO CITY, Oct. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Rescuers Monday suspended their search for survivors among the 1,400 buried in the devastating mudslides in Guatemala, which, together with the 652 confirmed dead, could put the death toll at around 2,000.

    Earlier, Guatemalan and Spanish firefighters had carried out searches in the worst-hit communities of Panabaj and Tzanchaj in a lake region 180 km west of Guatemala City.

An aerial view from a US Army Chinook Helicopter shows a debris-filled mudslide Oct 10. (AP) Click for more photos

    Fire Department spokesman Mario Cruz said 1,400 people disappeared in the two towns after mudslides swept out the residential areas in the early hours of Wednesday.

    However, hopes for survivors grew faint five days after mudslide tumbled down the slopes of San Lucas volcano onto the towns in heavy rains unleashed by the Tropical Storm Stan.

    Firefighters' spokesman Mario Cruz said this is a temporary suspension and they are waiting for the government's decision to resume work or declare it a cemetery, which would end the search.

    Hundreds of villagers in the Mayan region flocked to the sites buried under the avalanches of mud and rocks since Wednesday to try to dig out their friends, relatives and neighbors.

    Most of the hopefuls were forced to give up as their efforts yielded almost no result and only a handful of those who helped dig for the dead during the weekend showed up on Monday.

    The task to get the dead bodies out of the thick mud could also be huge and rescuers said it might take more than a month. They had asked the government for heavier equipment and more workers to join the efforts.

    President Oscar Berger Monday declared three days of mourning for those confirmed dead and urged the international community to help his nation of 11.2 million people.

    Responding to the request, the United States has sent eight military helicopters to help with disaster relief and the head of US Southern Command said Monday that more aid was planned.

    General Bantz Craddock told CNN television from Guatemala City that the storm had caused "significant devastation" in the Central American country.

    "We deployed eight helicopters and 60 soldiers, flight crews and command and control personnel," Craddock said.

    "Based upon my assessment today we'll be deploying additional folks," he added.

    Meanwhile, the United Nations on Monday sought 22 million US dollars to help Guatemalan villagers who survived the deadly storm. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has already contributed 80,000 dollars, half of which, a grant from Norway.

    Many other countries, such as Japan, Mexico, Spain, Cuba and Canada, also pledged help.

    Stan slammed as a hurricane in the Mexican state of Veracruz on Tuesday. It began pounding northern Central American on Oct. 1 and Guatemala took the hardest blow.

    Floods and mudslides triggered by Stan have killed at least 69 in El Salvador, 24 in Mexico, nine in Nicaragua, six in Honduras, and two in Costa Rica.

    Stan has become one of the worst hurricanes that struck Guatemala and the damage has surpassed that caused by Mitch in 1998, which killed 268 people and affected 700,000 others. Enditem