at least 45 dead after Hurricane Otis

Hurricane Otis, which devastated the Pacific coast of Mexico, killed 45 people, according to a new assessment, revised downwards, established Monday October 30 by the Mexican authorities. According to the governor of the state of Guerrero, 47 people still have not “not been located”.

From a simple tropical storm, Otis strengthened into a maximum strength 5 hurricane in just six hours off the Pacific coast of Mexico. It made landfall with winds of 270 km/h. The number of victims was slow, the passage of the hurricane having led to the cut of electricity and telecommunications, gradually restored over the weekend.

Aid rolls out slowly

The speed with which the hurricane formed did not give residents time to protect their businesses, homes and hotels, nor to stock up on water and food. Shops and supermarkets were looted before help arrived. Aid from the government and NGOs began to be distributed on Friday afternoon, after the reopening of the airport and the resumption of road traffic.

The federal government has counted more than 273,000 homes having suffered more or less serious damage. According to the consulting firm Enki Research, specializing in natural phenomena, Otis caused damage amounting to approximately 15 billion dollars, or 14.20 billion euros.