Death toll in Mexico from Hurricane Otis reaches 43
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The death toll from Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 storm that battered the Mexican Pacific resort city of Acapulco, has risen to 43, said Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado in a social media post.
As of Saturday, the Mexican government had reported 39 deaths with 10 people missing.
The new tally of fatalities comprised 33 men and 10 women, Salgado said in a post on the platform X.
She added that electricity had been restored to 58% of Acapulco, and that officials had visited 10,000 families in Acapulco and the nearby city of Coyuca de Benitez for a census to evaluate damages.
READ MORE : Flash floods kill at least 18 in northeastern India and leave nearly 100 missing
“These have been intense days of non-stop work,” Salgado said, noting that officials were working to distribute aid.
Residents in still-flooded areas have criticized the lack of government help, and many people are still searching for family members after losing contact when the storm hit on Wednesday.
With winds of 165 mph (266 kph), Hurricane Otis flooded city, wreaked homes, stores and hotels, and severed communications.
Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon Editing by Marguerita Choy and Lisa Shumaker