Mexico: After hammering from Hurricane Otis, Acapulco ravaged by looting
Acapulco
After it was hammered by Hurricane Otis, the Mexican city of Acapulco is now being ravaged by looting. The record-breaking storm resulted in death of at least 27 people and left thousands of people struggling to get food and water.
When Hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on Wednesday (October 25), it pounded the city with winds of 165 miles per hour (266 km per hour). It flooded the city, tore roofs from homes, submerged vehicles and affected communication and even road and air connectivity. It was a Category 5 storm that caused devastation worth billions of dollars.
Watch | Mexico: Hurricane Otis wrecks buildings, down trees; kills at least 27 people
"Right now, money's no use to us because there's nothing to buy, everything's been looted," 57-year-old Acapulco resident Rodolfo Villagomez said after Otis tore through the city.
"It was total chaos. You could hear it here hissing like a bull."
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He was quoted by Reuters.
On Thursday evening, people carried off goods including food, water and toilet paper from stores. "We came to get food, because we don't have any," a woman told Reuters.
"There were acts of looting in some places because there was an emergency," President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday, urging residents not to take advantage of the situation.
President Obrador has said that the government would help the people in the city. However, residents are saying that the aid is insufficient.
"All the stores are closed or destroyed," said Raul Busto Ramirez (76) as quoted by Reuters. He blamed the looting on shortage and out-of-action ATMs.
Not much information has been released by the government about the death toll and number of injured. It has only said that four people are missing.
The Mexican authorities have said that Hurricane Otis was the most powerful storm ever to Pacific coast of Mexico. It gathered strength unexpectedly and defied predictions of the weather forecasters.
However, President Obrador has said "We were lucky".
"Nature, the creator protected us, even with the fury of the hurricane," he added. "There's a lot of material damage but luckily we're not registering too many deaths."
The government is yet to assess the damage caused by Otis. Reuters quoted Enki Research, which tracks tropical storms and estimates the damage. Enki Research estimates it to be "approaching $15 billion."
(With inputs from agencies)
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