At least 27 people are dead and others are missing, authorities say, after flooding in Mexico triggered landslides and swept away homes, vehicles and bridges.
Heavy rains on Thursday and Friday caused rivers to overflow. Hidalgo, in eastern Mexico, was one of the worst-hit areas, with 16 deaths reported.
Thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed by rapid water rushing through streets, carrying cars, while highways were blocked by debris and power cut.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the government had deployed 5,400 people to help communities, clear roads and distribute aid.
She wrote on social media: “We are working to support the population, open the roads and restore electricity service.”
In addition, 3,300 naval troops are participating in evacuations and eliminating the aftereffects of the floods.
Getty ImagesIn Puebla, state Governor Alejandro Armenta said at least nine people were dead and five others were missing. An estimated 80,000 people were affected by the weather in Puebla alone, the state government said.
Two other people died in Veracruz.
“No one was prepared for this,” José Cervantes, a cafe owner in one of the affected areas, told the Reuters news agency.
“The flood reached a height of one and a half meters. Everything was flooded, the dining room and the entire restaurant, the kitchen, the bathroom, the games room, the private area. Everything is in a deplorable state.”
