Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 27 after sweeping across Mexico
27 people have died after Hurricane Otis swept across Mexico’s southern coast.
The hurricane was expected to weaken earlier this week, but it strengthened rapidly from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in a 12-hour period on Tuesday.
It’s since been downgraded to Category 4, but it’s still had a major impact on the South American country.
Mexican authorities have confirmed 27 people have died and there are at least four people missing.
The identities of the people who died, and where the deaths occurred, have not yet been confirmed.
Otis tore across the country’s southern Pacific coast, unleashing massive flooding in the resort city of Acapulco.
Strong winds blew out hundreds of hotel windows, and heavy rain led to landslides and blocked roads.
Buildings had their walls and roofs ripped off, while dislodged solar panels, scattered cars and debris littered streets and even hotel lobbies.
There were power cuts and a loss of phone signal across Acapulco, with some residents using satellite phones loaned by the Red Cross to let family members know they were OK.
There were also widespread reports of looting amid the chaos, with the government acknowledging the authorities arrived late due to the havoc Otis left behind.
The resulting destruction delayed a comprehensive response by the government, which was still assessing the damage along Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Some 10,000 military troops were deployed to the area – however they lacked the tools to clean tonnes of mud and fallen trees from the street.
Hundreds of staff from the government electricity company have arrived in Acapulco, but seemed at a loss as to how to restore power while downed electricity lines lay in feet of mud and water.
Experts say Otis is the strongest storm in history to make landfall along the eastern Pacific coast.
The hurricane had dissipated over the mountains by Wednesday afternoon, but the impact of its damage will take much longer to repair.
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