Number of Deaths from Hurricane “Otis” Rises to 39

Hurricane “Otis” struck the famous resort town of Acapulco with tremendous force in the early hours of Wednesday. Many buildings were damaged and roads were buried in mud. The death toll has now risen to 39.

After Hurricane “Otis” hit the Mexican Pacific coast, the number of deaths has reached 39. “The prosecutor’s office currently estimates 39 deaths – 29 men and 10 women,” said Minister of Security Rosa Icela Rodríguez in a video message with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Saturday. Most of the victims are likely to have drowned. Previously, the government had reported the death toll at 27. Meanwhile, the armed forces have been distributing relief supplies in the resort town of Acapulco. Soldiers are delivering food and drinking water to the most affected areas, according to the Ministry of Defense. The military has airlifted 40 tons of relief supplies to the disaster-stricken region, while the Red Cross has delivered an additional 75 tons.

Category 5 Hurricane

According to media reports, there had been numerous looting incidents. People took not only food and water but also electrical appliances and luxury goods. The National Guard deployed 1,700 officers to Acapulco to restore public order.

Hurricane “Otis” struck the coast as a category 5 hurricane, with sustained winds of nearly 270 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 330 kilometers per hour, in the early hours of Wednesday. It rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to a dangerous hurricane in just twelve hours. Once on land, it lost strength and eventually dissipated.

The tourist infrastructure in the region has been severely affected by the storm. “Otis” devastated hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, and shopping centers in Acapulco. Initial estimates suggest that the storm may have caused economic damage amounting to $15 billion, or approximately €14.2 billion.