NewsThe renowned coastal destination of Acapulco in southwestern Mexico was partially devastated on Thursday after powerful Hurricane Otis cut it off from the rest of the country.
A Category 5 hurricane hit the coastal town of Acapulco on Wednesday, October 25, cutting off this city of some 780,000 inhabitants from the rest of the country. At least 27 people died, according to the first toll announced by the authorities on Thursday. The extent of the damage remains unknown in the absence of communications.
"The material damage is devastating. We have no water, we have no light, but we are safe and sound," Citlali Portillo, administrator of a tourist residence, told Televisa.
The hurricane had formed very quickly in just a few hours off the Pacific coast of Mexico. Taken by surprise, the inhabitants protected themselves as best they could. With its coasts bordering the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico is threatened by hurricanes from May to October-November.
A man near the entrance to Acapulco after Hurricane Otis, in the Mexican state of Guerrero, Mexico, October 25, 2023. HENRY ROMERO / REUTERSStalls damaged by Hurricane Otis near the entrance to Acapulco. HENRY ROMERO / REUTERSMexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in his bogged-down vehicle during a visit to the community of Kilometro 42, near Acapulco. RODRIGO OROPEZA / AFPPeople walk past a section of road washed away in the municipality of Kilometro 42, near Acapulco. RODRIGO OROPEZA / AFPPeople walk in the mud covering a road in the Kilometro 42 commune. RODRIGO OROPEZA / AFPA building damaged by Hurricane Otis in Acapulco. MARCO UGARTE / APA Mexican National Guard soldier tries to prevent looting in a shopping mall. MARCO UGARTE / APOn an Acapulco street. FRANCISCO ROBLES / AFPIn Acapulco. FRANCISCO ROBLES / AFPA worker clears a section of road blocked by a landslide on the Acapulco highway. HENRY ROMERO / REUTERSPeople wait outside their cars for repair crews to clear the roads following Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Mexico, Wednesday, October 25, 2023. MARCO UGARTE / AP
