The full scale of the flood disaster across Mexico last week is just coming into view. It started with days of relentless rain last week. Then rivers broke their banks, homes disappeared underwater, and entire communities were cut off from the outside world. Days of rain brought widespread flooding. Entire towns are underwater. At least 64 people are dead and dozens more are still missing. WATCH: Mexico: 64 Dead, Many Missing as Floods Wreak Havoc, Cut Off Communities, Firstpost Oct 15, transcript follows:
Now, let's talk about Mexico. It is 0:06 grappling with one of its worst flooding 0:08 disasters in years. Days of heavy rain 0:10 have brought widespread flooding to the 0:11 country. Entire towns are underwater. At 0:13 least 64 people are dead and dozens more 0:16 are still missing. The full scale of the 0:18 disaster is only just coming into view. 0:20 Roads are gone, bridges have collapsed, 0:22 and hundreds of communities are cut off. 0:24 The worst damage is in Mexico's Vera 0:26 Cruz and Hidalgo states. Thousands of 0:29 homes are destroyed. Countless families 0:30 have lost everything. Rescue teams are 0:33 now racing to reach the stranded. 0:35 They're delivering food and water. And 0:36 the government is preparing for a long 0:38 road to recovery. Here's our report.[Transcripts are here st Heating Planet for readers writers and researchers. Plus, video can disappear. The printed word is forever.]
0:43
Started with days of relentless rain
0:45
last week.
0:47
Then rivers broke their banks.
0:50
Homes disappeared underwater.
0:52
And entire communities were cut off from
0:55
the outside world. Mexico is now facing
0:58
one of its worst flooding disasters in
1:00
years. At least 64 people are confirmed
1:03
dead. Another 65 are missing and
1:07
hundreds of towns remain unreachable.
1:10
The rains were triggered by the
1:12
collision of weather systems. A tropical
1:15
depression from the Gulf combined with a
1:17
cold front from the north. It struck at
1:20
the end of a long and intense rainy
1:22
season. Rivers were already high. The
1:25
ground was saturated
1:28
and the hillsides could no longer hold.
1:30
When the storm hit, the impact was
1:33
immediate. Roads were washed away,
1:36
bridges collapsed, and in many places,
1:39
the water rose faster than people could
1:41
react.
1:42
Some escaped to their rooftops, others
1:45
were trapped inside their homes. In some
1:47
towns, entire neighborhoods were
1:49
submerged within minutes. The worst hit
1:52
regions include three important states,
1:55
Veraracruz, Hidalgo, and Puebla.
2:00
Some areas of Veraracruz saw up to 24 in
2:03
or 61 cm of rain in just 4 days. In
2:07
total, more than 100 Thuosand homes have
2:10
been damaged or destroyed. Over 300
2:12
communities still reportedly remain cut
2:14
off by water or landslides, and hundreds
2:18
of thousands of people are affected.
2:20
The human toll continues to grow.
2:24
Families are searching for missing loved
2:26
ones.
2:27
Volunteers and emergency teams are
2:29
digging through mud and debris.
2:32
Health teams began fumigating affected
2:34
areas to prevent outbreaks of denge. And
2:37
many survivors say they lost everything.
2:41
The government has launched a massive
2:43
emergency operation. More than 10,000
2:46
troops are on the ground. Helicopters
2:48
and boats are delivering food, water,
2:51
and medical aid. Air bridges have been
2:53
set up to reach towns still isolated.
2:56
And shelters have opened across the
2:58
affected states.
3:02
There are many roads that still cannot
3:03
be opened, towns that still cannot be
3:06
reached. Today, air bridges began to
3:08
deliver food and drinking water.
3:11
Yesterday, this was not possible because
3:13
the weather conditions were not suitable
3:15
for helicopters to fly.
3:21
Officials say the floods were far more
3:23
severe than forecasts predicted. The
3:26
collision of weather systems made them
3:28
difficult to anticipate,
3:30
but they insist no resources will be
3:32
spared to rebuild and recover.
3:36
Emergency teams are working to reopen
3:38
roads and restore power,
3:41
and search operations continue around
3:43
the clock.
3:45
The priority now is survival. Reaching
3:48
isolated communities,
3:50
preventing outbreaks of disease, and
3:52
helping thousands of families rebuild
3:54
their lives.
3:58
Everyone who lost their business or
4:00
their home will receive support. To do
4:02
this, we will first conduct a census and
4:04
based on the information we gather, I
4:06
will be told what the first, second, and
4:08
third areas of support will be.
4:12
For Mexico, this is more than a
4:14
disaster. Now the country must come
4:17
together to recover and rebuild.
4:22
Want the facts,
4:23
the latest developments,
4:25
news that gets straight to the point?
4:28
Well, we've got all three just for you.
4:30
This is First Post Live, a brand new
4:32
show, your window into what really
4:34
matters.
4:35
Don't miss it.
***
At Firstpost, we focus on facts, keep the noise out and bring you stories from across the globe, viewing them through the Indian lens.
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