(Acapulco) An airlift was set up on Friday to evacuate tourists stranded in Acapulco, the famous seaside resort on Mexico’s Pacific coast, devastated by a hurricane which left 27 dead, the government announced.
“The Acapulco airport is already restored for an airlift,” Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said, adding that three planes had been scheduled starting at 8 a.m. local time (10 a.m. Eastern).
These are commercial flights to “evacuate tourists and the local population” and to send “specialist doctors”, he detailed.
Dozens of people arrived at the airport with suitcases and backpacks, an AFP team noted.
“We are very happy, grateful to life which gives us the chance to continue,” says Clara Elena Albo, originally from the capital Mexico City, on vacation with her husband in the seaside city.
The city found itself devastated and isolated (roads and airport cut, as well as the Internet) after the hurricane passed through on Wednesday. Otisforce 5, which made landfall with winds of more than 250 km/h.
The authorities report a toll of 27 dead and four missing.
Pope Francis declared himself “deeply saddened” in a message of condolences addressed to the archbishop of Acapulco.
In total, 80% of the city’s hotels were affected. Businesses and homes were destroyed, streets flooded and trees uprooted.
A large part of Acapulco remained without electricity or telephone on Friday, in addition to a shortage of food which caused looting in supermarkets.
In October 1997, the passage through the region of the hurricane Paulinacategory 4, led to the death of more than 200 people.