More than a thousand rescue workers are working at the disaster site deploying earth movers and sniffer dogs.
A spokesman for the Guatemalan emergency services, CONRED, Julio Sanchez said the United States and Mexico had offered help but were asked to remain on standby.
He said Guatemala was following international protocols that advocated search and rescue procedures for 72 hours after a disaster of this kind.
Rescue workers could be seen calling out to those trapped under the soil and listening intently for replies or movement.
One rescue worker told Reuters that after the initial 72 hours there was less probability of finding survivors alive and it was more difficult to find people alive after mudslides than after an earthquake..