At least 41 fatalities have been confirmed following days of heavy rainfall that led to severe flooding and landslides in central and southeastern Mexico, as reported by officials on Saturday.
The death toll increased as thousands of soldiers continued their search for the devastation left behind by the retreating waters, clearing roads choked with fallen trees and vehicles in efforts to locate those unaccounted for.
In Poza Rica, an oil city located about 270 miles northeast of Mexico City, local residents recounted hearing torrents of water and the sounds of vehicles colliding before they witnessed roads engulfed by over 12 feet of floodwater on Friday. Unfortunately, some individuals were unable to evacuate in time.
Shadak Azuara, a 27-year-old, recounted a harrowing experience. He knocked on his uncle’s door at 3 a.m. Friday but received no response. Upon returning the next day, he found his uncle’s lifeless body in the water surrounding his bed, leading to a grave misunderstanding—”We thought he had evacuated with everyone else,” Azuara said.
The situation was dire in Hidalgo state, where heavy rains resulted in 16 deaths and power outages affecting 150 communities, according to Mexico’s National Coordination for Civil Protection.
Meanwhile, in Puebla state, east of Mexico City, at least nine people perished and over 16,000 homes were either damaged or destroyed. Veracruz state also faced significant losses, with 15 fatalities reported, as military personnel worked tirelessly to rescue individuals stranded in numerous remote communities cut off by landslides and rising rivers.
Authorities are currently searching for 27 individuals reported missing throughout the area, and roughly 16,000 homes were affected in 55 municipalities in the Gulf Coast state. The devastation has left many shaken, as they confront the heavy aftermath of this natural disaster. Earlier, a child tragically lost their life due to a landslide in Queretaro.
