Heavy rains in the affected areas of the country’s central and southeastern regions caused rivers to flood, roads to collapse, and some municipalities to lose power, National Civil Defense Coordinator Laura Velasquez announced on Friday.
Civil defense authorities reported heavy rain in 31 of 32 states, with the worst-hit areas being Veracruz in the east, Queretaro and Hidalgo in the center, and San Luis Potosi in the north-central region, AFP reported.
One of the worst-hit areas was the central state of Hidalgo, where 16 deaths were reported, according to state Interior Secretary Guillermo Olivares Reina.
At least 1,000 homes, 59 hospitals and clinics, and 308 schools were damaged in the state by landslides and river flooding.
In the neighboring state of Puebla, nine people were killed and 13 were missing. According to the governor, about 80,000 people were affected by the heavy rains, and a gas pipeline was ruptured by a landslide.
Two people, including a police officer, were killed in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz, the state’s governor said. Approximately 5,000 homes were damaged, and the Navy evacuated nearly 900 people to evacuation centers.
Master’s degree/PR