Two employees of Dümmen Orange in Central American country Guatemala have been missing since the eruption of the Fuego volcano on Sunday the 3rd of June. Initially, there were eight employees missing, but six of them reported being alive over the last couple of days, according to the breeding and propagation company’s spokeswoman Nicolette Straver. The company fears for the lives of the two employees that are still missing.
Straver believes that the missing employees’ houses are buried in lava. “We fear the worst. Our main concern at the moment, is to find out more about the fate of these two employees. So far, nothing’s been officially confirmed yet.” The company has been supplying the people in the affected area with medicine, clothes, food and water. “Many of our employees lost family members through the natural disaster”, said Straver.
The Guatemalan farm of Dümmen Orange, where they grow propagation materials for cut flowers and perennials, is located on the ‘safe’ side of the volcano. That’s why the company escaped the lava flows and rock avalanches that cascaded down the other side of the volcano. “Our only damage was the thick layer of ashes on the greenhouse roofs. But the recent rain took care of most of that”, explained Straver.
Dümmen Orange’s production won’t be affected by the volcanic eruption. All shipments will go ahead as planned. However, the company is in a ready state of evacuation and they’ve taken a number of safety measures. Such as the provision of protective work clothing and the advice for pregnant employees to stay at home in order to avoid the polluted air.
