The death toll from Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 storm that caused severe damage in the Mexican Pacific resort city of Acapulco earlier this week, has increased to 39, based on the latest government figures released on Saturday.
On Wednesday, Hurricane Otis battered Acapulco, bringing winds of 165 miles per hour (266 km per hour), resulting in flooding, destruction of roofs on homes, stores, and hotels, vehicles submerged underwater, and communication and transportation links severed.
Prior to the recent update, the government had reported 27 deaths and four people missing as a result of Hurricane Otis. Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez stated that currently, there are 10 people unaccounted for.
Acapulco has been dealing with looting activities as residents struggle to obtain essential supplies such as food and water in the aftermath of the record-breaking storm.
There have been complaints that the assistance provided by the government to Acapulco has been insufficient, and some officials have expressed concerns privately that the death toll might rise.
According to an official statement referencing data from the government of Guerrero, the state where Acapulco is situated, the revised death toll includes 29 men and 10 women.
The statement also reveals that more than 220,000 homes and 80% of the hotel sector have been impacted, and over 513,000 individuals experienced power outages.
The estimated cost of the destruction caused by Hurricane Otis amounts to billions of dollars. Additionally, more than 8,000 members of the armed forces were deployed to assist in the recovery of the damaged port.
Mexican authorities have declared Otis as the most powerful storm ever to hit the Pacific coast of Mexico. It caught forecasters off guard, rapidly intensifying before making landfall and surpassing initial predictions.
(Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon Editing by Dave Graham and Diane Craft)
