POZA RICA, Mexico (AP) – The death toll from Mexico’s heavy rains rose to 47 on Sunday as floods and landslides spread across Mexican states as authorities rushed to rescue affected residents, search for missing people and clean up several areas.
Floods swept away vehicles, destroyed homes and roads in some states over the weekend, and caused widespread damage in the country over the weekend, days after heavy rains fell in several parts of the country.
President Claudia Sheinbaum visited some states and said the government would begin a census of affected people to distribute aid.
As of Sunday night, Mexico’s Civil Protection Agency said heavy rains had killed 18 people in the Gulf state of Veracruz and 16 in Hidalgo state north of Mexico City. At least 12 people were killed in Puebla, east of Mexico City. Earlier, a child was killed in a landslide in the central state of Queretaro.
The death toll is likely to rise as rescue workers continued to dig through the flooded village, which is clogged with mud and debris, on Sunday.
The Civil Protection Agency said at least 38 people were missing in three provinces.
Officials blamed the deadly rains on two tropical systems, Hurricane Priscilla and Tropical Storm Raymond, which formed and then dissipated off Mexico’s west coast.
In Veracruz and Puebla states, hundreds of military personnel, police officers and firefighters carried out rescue operations and set up temporary shelters where stranded residents received food and medical care. Thousands of residents across the country continue to suffer from lack of water and electricity.
“There are many different communities in Veracruz that are still disconnected, but fortunately today we were able to build an air bridge to bring food and water and attend to the sick,” Sheinbaum said on Sunday during a visit to Veracruz. “We know there is a lot of despair and worry. We will be reaching out to everyone.”
Approximately 54 centimeters of rain fell in parts of Veracruz state from October 6 to 9.
In the oil city of Poza Rica, 170 miles (275 kilometers) northeast of Mexico City, where Sheinbaum spoke to residents on a muddy road, more than 12 feet of water was measured in some low-lying areas as the Casones River jumped its banks on Friday.
