No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveThousands of tourists await rescue in flooded Acapulco

Thousands of tourists await rescue in flooded Acapulco

ACAPULCO, Mexico – Mexican authorities scrambled Tuesday to launch an airlift to evacuate tens of thousands of tourists stranded amid floods in the resort of Acapulco following a pair of deadly storms.

The Pacific city’s airport and two main highways have been closed since the tropical storms, Ingrid and Manuel, began to pound the country’s east and west coasts over the weekend.

The weather systems triggered heavy rains, floods and landslides that have left at least 38 people dead in several states, according to federal officials. State and local officials have reported 10 more deaths.

The southwestern state of Guerrero endured four days of nonstop rain that has flooded more than half of Acapulco, a city of 680,000 people, according to municipal officials.

At least 40,000 Mexican and foreign beachgoers are marooned in hotels, Mayor Luis Walton said.

“All land routes are closed and for the moment it is difficult to open the commercial airport of Acapulco,” national civil protection coordinator Luis Felipe Puente told MVS radio.

Mexican airline Aeroméxico said it would offer five special flights between Acapulco and Mexico City to help the stranded leave on Tuesday.

The terminal will remain closed due to the flooding on the road to the airport but the aircraft will be able to use the runway, Civil Aviation Director Alejandro Argudín told Televisa television.

The city’s Imperial World Forum, a concert theater, will be used to facilitate the tourists’ exit, he said.

Authorities hope to open one lane of a federal road linking Mexico City to Acapulco later Tuesday.

Manuel struck the Pacific coast on Sunday while Ingrid weakened from hurricane to tropical storm strength as it made landfall on the northeastern coast on Monday.

It was the first time since 1958 that two storms hit the country almost at the same time. Two-thirds of the country were affected this time, officials said. Both systems have since dissipated.

Although the storms have dissipated, authorities have warned that an emergency remains in Guerrero and the eastern state of Veracruz.

Around 50 towns were affected in Guerrero, with some 238,000 people seeing various levels of damage to their homes, officials said.

In Veracruz, the storms damaged 18 bridges, triggered landslides that fell on dozens of roads and affected some 20,000 homes, state officials said.

Trending Now

Cosby Show Star Malcolm-Jamal Warner Dies in Costa Rica Drowning Accident

Malcolm-Jamal Warner passed away at 54 from an accidental drowning. He gained fame as Theo Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," playing the son in...

Chiquita Executives Convicted in Colombia for Financing Death Squads

Colombian justice on Wednesday sentenced seven former executives of the multinational banana company Chiquita Brands to more than 11 years in prison and a...

Costa Rica Seeks New Air Routes Amid Decline in European Tourism

Costa Rica is working to increase the number of international flights entering the country, as it faces a concerning drop in tourist arrivals.  The...

Costa Rica Court Sanctions Road Official Over Delayed Wildlife Crossings

Costa Rica’s wildlife faces perils, as authorities have continously failed to build wildlife crossings. Nonetheless, the Constitutional Court has taken a firm stance in...

Can Costa Rica’s Blue Zone Preserve Its Longevity Legacy?

The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica is recognized worldwide as one of the five blue zones, where people live beyond the age of 90...

Keylor Navas Joins Pumas After Controversial Exit from Newell’s

Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas is officially the newest player for Pumas UNAM, but his move from Argentina’s Newell’s Old Boys has been anything...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica