Mexico floods and landslides kill at least 41, dozens missing

Mexico City [Mexico], October 13: Severe storms in Mexico have left a trail of destruction across the country, with at least 41 people reported dead and 27 more missing following intense rainfall, authorities said on Saturday.
Around 10,000 soldiers have been deployed, using boats, helicopters and excavators to clear roads, rescue stranded residents and deliver food to affected communities. Many villages remain cut off and aid workers are still struggling to reach them. Meteorologists have warned that further rainfall is expected. With the soil already saturated, the risk of additional landslides is rising.
The hardest-hit areas are in the eastern and central states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla, Queretaro and San Luis Potosí. Tens of thousands of homes, clinics, schools, roads and bridges have been damaged.
Most fatalities so far have been reported in Veracruz and Hidalgo, while deaths have also been confirmed in Puebla and Queretaro. San Luis Potosí suffered widespread damage but no casualties. Mexico is at the end of its annual rainy season, which lasts about six months and usually ends in early November.
The heavy rainfall of recent days is partly due to the tropical cyclones Priscilla and Raymond in the Pacific, as well as weather phenomena in the Gulf of Mexico. In Puebla, a Bengal tiger escaped from a zoo near the municipality of Xicotepec during the floods. Initial reports said the animal had been found, but its condition was unclear.
Source: Qatar Tribune