The torrential rains that have been falling for a week over several states in central and eastern Mexico have devastated several regions, leaving at least 64 dead and 65 missing, according to a latest government report dated Monday, October 13.
The number of deaths and the greatest damage are concentrated mainly in the states of Veracruz (east), Hidalgo and Puebla (center), said the national head of Civil Protection, Laura Velázquez.
The heaviest rains were recorded between Monday and Thursday, causing “an increase in the level of rivers and streams near these states,” causing flooding and damage, Velázquez said during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning conference.
43 missing in the state of Hidalgo
The largest number of missing people is concentrated in the state of Hidalgo, with 43 people of whom the authorities have no news.
Asked about a possible failure in the forecast services, Sheinbaum explained that several meteorological factors had combined, so “it would have been difficult to have (information) in time about this situation, unlike what happens with hurricanes.”
According to meteorological services, these precipitations that occur at the end of the rainy season are the result of the entry through the Gulf of Mexico of a tropical depression that encountered a cold front coming from the north, thus favoring the rains.
In the towns of Veracruz, close to the coast and crossed by important rivers, the population was invited on Friday to evacuate due to the risk of flooding. But in the mountains, rivers suddenly rise due to rain concentrated in one place.
An air bridge
In the mountainous region of Hidalgo, an air bridge was installed to rescue isolated populations on roads cut off by water.
On Sunday afternoon, AFP observed the movements of military and government helicopters in the city of Pachuca, capital of the state of Hidalgo.
“It takes a lot of flights… to be able to provide enough food and water,” Sheinbaum said.
Several patients from a hospital in the municipality of San Bartolo de Tutotepec were airlifted due to the closure of roads that isolate several hamlets, local authorities said.
Landslides
The mayor of San Bartolo Tutotepec, Uvaslado González, informed AFP on Monday of “two deaths in a landslide that crushed two homes.” Access to “the most remote communities is complicated by landslides and mudslides,” he explained.
For a resident, the difficulty is finding basic needs. “Everyone wanted to buy something at the same time, everything was sold and what is left is very expensive,” said Cira González.
The AFP confirmed the closure of numerous roads around the municipality of Tenango de Doria, one of the most affected areas.
Many residents, in search of water and food, walked several kilometers, some carrying personal belongings, to settle in shelters established by the government.
“We walked for two and a half hours in the mud, crossing paths and scree. Everything is destroyed, we have no more food, we have nothing left,” Marco Mendoza, a 35-year-old farmer, told AFP after searching in vain for something to feed his family in the shops of Tenango de Doria.
A complicated food supply
Businesses in the city center are left without power and residents gather in the central square to learn about the reopening of roads and the coordination of relief efforts.
A San Clemente merchant stated that his truck carrying a ton of vegetables had been stranded at the foot of the mountains since Thursday: “It was not possible to move forward,” he lamented, fearing losing his merchandise.
The cloud cover cleared on Sunday, allowing public works crews to begin clearing access to the highway, AFP reported.
Source: BFM TV
